BASEBALL: Cravey carries Bleckley to win in debut at Dublin; Hogan out as Irish head coach

The Dublin Irish stayed in striking distance the whole way, but were held to just two hits and a single run on their last trip up, in a 5-1 loss at home to kick off a three-game set with Bleckley County Tuesday afternoon at Bush Perry Field. 

Royal ace Breagan Cravey, backed by eight hits of support in his six-plus innings, struck out seven to nail down the win – a seventh out of seven in region play – for BC, which remains in the driver’s seat of 2-High-A. 

Bleckley was set to host the middle game in the set Wednesday afternoon. 

Dublin (9-14, 4-3 region) took the field Tuesday without its fourth-year skipper, Todd Hogan, who – in a surprising development ahead of first pitch – is now out as Irish head coach. 

Assistant Brian Brown, who led the club Tuesday, will step in as interim. 

Scoring chances against the Georgia Southern-commit were limited for the Irish, who scratched out their only run to nibble a run out of a 5-0 deficit in the bottom of the seventh after Cravey was relieved by Josh Dillard with an out to go after walking the bases full. 

Dillard issued another base on balls to Tal Duke to walk home the run, and help the Irish bring the tying run to the plate in a 1-for-2 Tyrese Robinson. But his pop fly to left was brought in by Brady Brannon for the last out. 

Singles by Robinson and Bennett Lake were the only Dublin hits. 

Bleckley, scoring twice in the first, then once in top halves of the second, fifth and seventh, got two hits each from Clayton Beck, Austin Yourn and Shane Knighton. 

Brannon and Brody Fleming had one each. Cravey picked up two RBIs. 

Xavier Reese threw five innings in the Irish pitching start, and gave up all eight Bleckley County hits. The sophomore struck out three and walked two. 

Duke pitched the last two, giving up a run on no hits, issuing four walks and striking out two.