Dolphins win eight of nine
BY JASON THOMPSON Gulf Breeze News jason@gulfbreezenews.com

Jason Thompson/Gulf Breeze News Doin' yardwork Tom Cotton gets loose before a recent at bat. Cotton was one of four Dolphins who homered in a 28-6 win over Hatley, Miss.

While Gulf Breeze High students were off for spring break last week, the baseball team - and their bats - were not.

Buoyed by four home runs, the Dolphins cranked out 23 hits in a 29-6 win over Hatley, Miss on March 11.

Hatley, located about 30 miles from Tupelo, scored one off a single, a passed ball, a wild pitch and an infield single in the third. But the Dolphins, winners of eight of their last nine heading into Monday's game at Washington, put up 10 runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Brad McGuire, who went 2-for- 3, scored three times and drove in three, led off with a single. Brandon Scott walked before Kameron Brunty singled to score McGuire.

Boomer Harrington doubled to score Brunty before T.J. Jordan singled to score Harrington. Jordan scored three times in the win.

Ashton Vance, who went 3- for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored, added an RBI single in the inning, while Brunty grounded out in the inning to score another run.

Shane Dorlag, who went 3- for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, singled in the second inning. After Vance's fielder's choice scored Jordan, who led the inning off with a walk, McGuire hit a sacrifice fly scored Dorlag.

Hatley scored two in the third before the Dolphins put up another 10-spot in the bottom of the third.

Brunty hit a solo homer to start the scoring. Brunty went 2- for-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored.

Three batters later, Dorlag hit a two-run homer, scoring Jordan, who hit into a fielder's choice.

Kolton Hanke, who went 3- for-5 with two RBIs and three runs scored, followed with a single, as did Vance and Tyler Gross, who also went 3-for-5 and scored three times.

McGuire followed with a two-run double before Scott's singled to score another run. Two batters later, Tom Cotton hit a three-run homer. Cotton was 2-for-2 with a team-high five RBIs.

Hatley scored three in the fourth to make it 22-6 before Gulf Breeze put up seven more in the bottom of the fourth.

Even pitchers got to join the hit parade in that inning, with Greg Tober and Justin Hurd hitting RBI doubles. Michael Thomas didn't get a chance as he was hit by a pitch. He scored on a double by Cotton before Hanke homered to score himself and Cotton.

Mark Waghalter pitched four innings for the win, striking out six, before shortstop Scott pitched the fifth, striking out one.

Dolphins 4, Jay 2

Gulf Breeze scored four in the bottom of the third, rallying from two runs down to beat the Royals in a rare 10 a.m. start time the following day.

Scott's two-out, two run double plated Cotton and Gross, while a double by Brunty scored both McGuire and Scott.

Gross collected his fourth, fifth and sixth hits in less than 24 hours, with two of those going for doubles.

Brunty, Jordan and Cotton all had two hits in the win, with both of Brunty's (double, triple) going for extra bases.

Greg Tober threw a one-hitter in the win, allowing only a two out single in the fourth.

The news wasn't all 100 percent rosy for the Dolphins last week as first baseman Derek Jeter underwent season-ending knee surgery earlier this week. Jeter was 5-for-19 with five RBIs in eight games this season for the Dolphins.

Dolphin JV 10, Hatley 0 Bo Dobson and Luke Crooke combined on a one-hitter as Corey Downs homered in the win for Gulf Breeze.

Downs went 2-for-4, while Cody Warford went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored. Patrick Vance also went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Robyn Hoffpauir scored twice.

West Florida Tech ninth grade 5,

Dolphins 0

Gulf Breeze was held to just six hits in only their third loss of the season.

Tyler McGee and Thomas Dorsey both had two hits, while Stephen Robbins and Ben Lively had one each.