Columbus North High School

April 2, 2024 - Head coach Mike Bodart’s defending Sectional champion Bull Dog baseball team certainly showed no signs of earlier-season jitters last night against Roncalli (3-2) as they rolled to an 11-1 five-inning victory. After two and a half scoreless innings by both teams, the Dogs exploded for six runs in the bottom of the third inning, added another in the fourth, and four more in the fifth to run-rule the Royals squad. Eight different Bull Dogs recorded hits in the victory, with Dillon James, Brock Kintner, and Connor Hensley each tallying two hits. Zach McLean had four RBI, while James and Sam Perry scored three and two runs, respectively. Hensley got the start on the mound, throwing two shutout innings, before turning the ball over to Ryan Rayburn. Rayburn, who recorded the win, also pitched a pair of innings, allowing one run on a pair of hits. Javier Uscanga only needed eight pitches for a perfect fifth inning in his Bull Dog debut. The pitchers combined to allow only four hits, walking none, and striking out four. The defense behind them was just as solid with no fielding errors. The Dogs will continue their busy week as they are scheduled to host East Central on Tuesday evening for both JV and varsity games at Southside Elementary. First pitches are scheduled for 6:00 pm. Photo: Dillon James was 2-for-3 with three runs scored in an 11-1 season-opening victory over Roncalli on Monday evening (April 1).