GRIDLEY, CA (YSBC) - The Gridley Bulldogs baseball team were swept by the Orland Trojans on May 1 with a 10-1 loss.

Gridley and Orland were tied at the beginning of the series in the Westside League standings with one loss each team suffered once to Las Plumas.

Bulldogs senior Eli Punzo and Trojans senior Roy Alexander were locked in early as both retired their first six hitters of the game and pounded the zone.

Orland put up back-to-back runs in the third and the fourth, but they did it with a small ball approach.

Orland senior Dominic Pacheco (2) lines a base hit on May 1 during the Trojans’ 10-1 victory over Gridley. Photo by Steven Bryla

Trojans junior Jackson Kampmann put the first run on the scoreboard with a sacrifice bunt.

Orland extended their lead to two in the second when Alexander struck out at the plate and forced the throw over to first, which allowed Trojans junior catcher Jackson Newham the break to get across the plate.

Gridley was able to get one back in the bottom half of the fourth and cut the deficit 2-1as senior Riley Engelmann hit a run-batted-in (RBI) that scored senior Tanner Abbott

Bulldogs’ sophomore Trey Rosser was thrown out at home as he attempted to score from second and a perfect throw from the outfield to Newham.

That was the final hit for the Gridley offense as Alexander dominated the rest of the Bulldogs lineup as he retired his final nine hitters.

Alexander’s dominant performance on the mound ended with three hits allowed and eight strikeouts as he did it all with 79 pitches thrown overall.

Bulldogs head coach Dan Crabtree expressed to Yuba Sutter Butte Colusa Sports that Orland was the better team and wanted it more than Gridley.

The Trojans tallied with a five-run fifth inning, which extended their lead 7-1 after they had three hits and two sacrifice bunts.

Punzo’s time on the mound ended with five innings pitched as he allowed seven runs off six hits but struck out eight Orland hitters.

Orland senior Roy Alexander (21) tosses a pitch on May 1 during the Trojans’ 10-1 win against Gridley. Photo by Steven Bryla

The loss put the Bulldogs in a second-place tie for league standings with Las Plumas.

Gridley is scheduled to play their final series against Oroville this week as they will host the Tigers on Tuesday, May 5 at 4 p.m. and travel to Oroville on Thursday, May 7 with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m.

The Northern Section baseball playoff brackets will be released on Friday, May 8 for Divisions II and III.

For more local sports, visit ysbcsports.com.