The bats remained hot for Mexico on Monday.

Mexico vs Macon Photo Gallery

The Bulldogs were using aluminum bats again and were at home this time but still won 8-4 against Macon. After outscoring four opponents 53-2 over four games at the Champs Fitness Wood Bat Weekend, Mexico recorded 11 hits and didn’t trail once in the game.

Head coach Daniel McCarty said it was good Mexico (5-0) carried the momentum from the weekend into its home opener. He said the Bulldogs made Macon’s three errors hurt, scoring three unearned runs to start the game, and didn’t let up after Macon (1-2) came within one run at 5-4. McCarty said Mexico has wanted its offense to be active “early and often.”

“We broke down our swings and went back to basics of seeing the ball and getting behind the ball,” McCarty said. “We’re trying to make good reads and take advantage of the first-pitch fastball strike.”

McCarty said Mexico let the first strike go by too often last season. This year’s Bulldogs are definitely going up there to be aggressive or move runners than being more passive with walks. 

Mexico’s lineup has been hurting opponents early and often so far as well, particularly in the Nos. 1 and 3 holes. Leadoff hitter Brady Fox had a big weekend with five hits and four RBI in four games and followed that by going 3-for-4 and one RBI against Macon. No. 3 hitter Drew DeMint had six RBI and four hits over the weekend and then went 2-for-3 with one RBI on Monday.

“That’s a 1-3 punch,” McCarty said. “Those guys get on base, and with runners on base, they find a way to get the job done.”

The junior Fox said Mexico hasn’t started the season this well in his career. Personally, he feels better than last year as he has noticed he’s barrelling the ball more frequently and his timing has been better after changing his stance. Fox said the Bulldogs have been more on task in their preparation.

“The coaches got stricter, and we’ve been putting in the work,” Fox said. “It’s a lot more consistent at practice and locking in at practice really helps.”

McCarty said the pitching was really good over the weekend and was good on Monday despite running into more trouble. He said Sam Ryan and Kaden Benne over the first five innings did well by combining for five hits allowed and are still being built up after a state quarterfinal basketball season. DeMint “took names” while allowing no hits and striking out two over the final two innings. 

“Overall, I am very pleased by our pitching tonight,” McCarty said.

Mexico plays at Eldon (2-1) at 5 p.m. Friday.

Bulldogs bat around over weekend, outscore opponents 53-2

Mexico scored plenty of runs to ring in the new season over the weekend.

The Bulldogs won all four of their games Friday and Saturday at the Champs Fitness Wood Bat Weekend at Houston and Liberty high schools and outscored their opponents 53-2. They defeated Houston 9-0 in five innings, Halfway 10-0 in five innings, Ellington 19-2 in three innings and Naylor 15-0 in three innings. 

Mexico recorded 37 hits and had big weekends from leadoff hitter Brady Fox and No. 3 hitter Drew DeMint. Fox went 5-for-8 with four RBI over four games, and DeMint went 4-for-7 with six RBI. Landon Hilderman had a big second day against Ellington and Naylor by going 3-for-4 with four RBI, Cooper Bledsoe was 2-for-2 with three RBI against Naylor, Jaydon Eldridge had two RBI against Naylor.

Fox struck out seven in a five-inning two-hitter against Houston, Austin Maxwell struck out 11 in a five-inning no-hitter against Halfway, Hilderman had four strikeouts in 2⅔ hitless innings against Ellington, Eldridge had five strikeouts in two one-hit innings against Naylor.