On a beautiful Sunday morning at Winnemac, the Hounds were able to overcome an early deficit and outhit their opponent 12 hits to 8 to keep their opening streak alive with a 9-7 victory.

For the Sunday start the Hounds had Atticus Conway who electrically scooted to the game. The young righty looked sharp, but not invincible, giving up a big second inning and 6 hits on the day before settling down.

The Hounds took a 3-0 lead on a Sells (EH) double and a pair of Viking errors for a pair of runs in the first and a Oweimrin (DH) frozen-rope RBI in the second. The Vikings responded, capitalizing on a pair of free bases with two hits and two doubles by the bottom third of their lineup, totaling 5 runs. Not deterred, Garett Eddy (CF) offered a double, and Brian Lehman (C) brought the speedster home on a line single. Then Burch (EH), who was earlier denied a hit on a diving effort, begrudgingly reached base on a pop-up single, Malafronte (RF) drew a walk, resulting in a diamond full of Hounds. Pedro Rondon crushed a long “VAMOSSS!” ball to center field for a triple, a triple with enough time for a miniature celebration between home and first as he exclaimed towards his own dugout (he would pay for this later with a HBP). The 3-RBI smack would give the Hounds a lead for which they would not give up. Sells and Kruse (3B, P) combined for a triple, RBI single respectively to cap the Hounds offense for the day. The Vikings scraped a run a piece in the fifth and sixth innings, one of which on a rolling, rolling, rolling in-the-park home run (the HR ended with a closer-than-it-should-have-been at the plate thanks to the long distance running of Cole Thompson (LF)), but their efforts came up short. Kruse played reliever and closer, tossing for 3 innings, allowing only 2 hits and a run, and channeling a Conwayian efficiency (34 strikes on 47 pitches, 73%).

The stands featured some new-in-2023 faces, including amateur scorekeeper Mike Kruse, Annika and Phil Oweimrin Sr. The Hounds celebrated the victory and weather on the patio at K’s Dugout. The next contest will be Tuesday evening way down south at Simeon Career Academy where they will take on the Dodgers.