Blair took a 1-0 lead in the third inning of the opener when Colorado Smith and Darrin Ellis hit back to back doubles. The Broncs put up two more runs in the fifth when David Fixico and Davin Walker hit run-scoring singles to increase the Blair lead to 3-0.
The Bulldogs had practically no success against Blair starting pitcher Ellis during the first five innings, collecting just two singles and being unable to get a runner past second base. That all changed in the bottom of the sixth.
Altus used four hits and four Blair errors in the sixth to score all seven of its runs. Heath Hill and Kirk Luebking had RBI singles and Michael Jackson added a base hit. The key hit was a two-run double to right center by Logan Childers that put the Bulldogs ahead 4-3.
Matt Meier came on in relief of Jackson in the third to get the win in relief. Meier pitched five innings, giving up two runs on three hits, striking out eight and walking one.
Hill and Childers each collected two hits in three at bats to lead the Bulldogs at the plate.
Fixico went 3-for-3 to pace the Broncs offensively. Smith and Ellis each collected two hits in four trips to the plate with a double and Walker was 2-for-3.
Cole McKee and Fixico handcuffed the Bulldog batters in the second game. Fixico pitched the final two innings to pick up the mound victory, giving up one hit and no runs.
McKee held Altus hitless through the first four innings, but he did walk five batters and that eventually led to the three runs.
Caleb Ellison drove in the Bulldogs' first run when he grounded out to short stop in the first inning. Blair came back to tie the game in the top of the fourth.
Raegan Vaughan and Michael Wortham walked with two outs in the bottom of the inning and then scored on an error to put Altus on top 3-1 after four innings of play.
Blair took a 4-3 in the top of the fifth when Ellis and Chevy Humphrey hit RBI singles and another run scored on an Altus error.
The Broncs continued to hit the ball well in the sixth as they scored four runs on three hits. One run scored on an error, Ellis drove in a pair of runs with a single and Fixico plated another marker with a triple to reach the 8-3 final.
Humphrey went 2-for-2 to lead the Blair hitting attack, while McKee, Ellis and Fixico all went 2-for-4. Ellis had three runs batted in.
Altus' only base hit was a fifth-inning single by Jay Watkins.
The Bulldogs received some good defensive play from their first basemen and catchers. Ben Hayes made a great diving catch of a pop fly behind first in the opener, then Aaron Hayes, playing first in the second game, made an excellent diving catch in foul territory between first and home.
Altus catcher Childers threw out a pair of runners in the opener and Steven Lane threw out a runner from behind the plate in the second game.
The Bulldogs will be back in action tonight when they travel to Burkburnett for a 6 p.m. doubleheader.
ALTUS 7, BLAIR 3
Blair 001 020 0 - 3 9 4
Altus 000 007 x - 7 6 1
Altus - Jackson, Meier (3) and Childers. Blair - Ellis and Fixico. W - Meier. L - Ellis. 2B - Smith, Ellis (Blair). Childers (Altus).
Leading hitters: (Altus) Childers, 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Hill, 2-3. (Blair) Smith, 2-4, 2B; Ellis, 2-4, 2B; Fixico, 3-3; Walker, 2-3.
BLAIR 8, ALTUS 3
Blair 000 134 - 8 8 3
Altus 100 200 - 3 1 3
Altus - Vaughan, Ellison (6) and Lane. Blair - Mckee, Fixico (5) and McGee, Smith (5). W - Fixico. L - Vaughan. 3B - Fixico (Blair).
Leading hitters: (Blair) Fixico, 2-4, 3B; Ellis, 2-4, 3 RBI; McKee, 2-4; Humphrey, 2-2.
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