Portageville Bulldogs too strong for Campbell Camels in Bootheel Conference Tourney championship

CARUTHERSVILLE, mo. - A powerful pitching performance by the Portageville Bulldogs' Beau-Hunter Warren was too much for a scrappy Campbell Camels squad Tuesday at the Bootheel Conference Tournament championship game at Caruthersville.

The Bulldogs blanked the Camels 5-0 and claimed the team's third straight tourney title.

The Campbell squad entered the championship game with high hopes and great expectations after a convincing win over a favored Caruthersville Tiger team the day before, 7-2.

The starting pitcher for Campbell Jackson Melvin on the mound at the Bootheel Conference Tournament championship game at Caruthersville.Photo by Tom Caldwell

The Bulldogs, after a nerve-racking, nail-biting win over Senath-Hornersville, were counting on a “Bulldog performance” by Warren.

And the team was not disappointed.

Warren pitched 5-1/3 innings of shutout ball, allowed only two hits, struck out 11 batters and walked only four. He threw 97 pitches, 58 for strikes, against only 23 hitters for the win.

A key distraction occurred at the end of the fifth inning when a fuse failed in the breaker box for the field lights and a 30-minute delay ensued.

At the end of the fifth, Jackson Melvin had retired six batters in a row, including three to end the fourth, after the leadoff batter tripled to hold the deficit at one run 1-0.

After the delay, Hunter knocked off Campbell's Jared Jennings for his tenth strikeout of the game and it looked like he was going to pick up right where he left off.

But trouble reared its ugly head.

Tanner Smart coaxed a walk from Hunter and Bulldogs coach David Patton had seen enough.

The starter and winner for Portageville, Hunter Warren on the bump Tuesday at Caruthersville.Photo by Tim Caldwell

After Smart stole second, Melvin doubled and Smart was held up at third.

The game turned on the next two Campbell batters.

With runners at second and third and only one out, Kenneth Siebert and Ben Rowland were both struck out by reliever Mason Adams to end the threat.

With all the momentum swing turning to the Bulldogs, Melvin, who had been brilliant for five innings, ran out of gas and the wheels fell off for Campbell.

The Bulldog's Xavion Bogan, in the ninth spot in the order, led off the inning with a gapper to right center for a triple.

A ground-out for Ryan Partin produced a run and the next five hitters for Portageville reached base.

Two hits later after three wild pitches and two walks, the Bulldogs scored three more runs and opened the lead to 5-0.

All in all in the inning, P Ville sent eight men to the plate scoring four runs and virtually placed the game out of reach.

Adams struck out two of three final batters he faced, giving the Portageville pitchers 15 strikeouts.

The Camels' Jackson Melvin took the loss for Campbell.

Despite the loss, Melvin went six innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on only five hits, walking four and striking out seven.

The closer for Tuesday's Bootheel Conference Tournament championship Mason Adams Photo by Tim Caldwell

The Portageville Bulldogs look toward the District Tournament as regular season champs, Bootheel Conference champs and sport a daunting 24-6 record.

The Bulldog's take on the Holcomb Hornets at home at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 1.

The Campbell Camels, now 11-7, next face the Clarkton Reindeer at home on Monday, May 6.