The Maryville Middle School Bulldogs varsity baseball team finished second in the 2008 Knox Youth Sports Middle School championship last week at Lakeshore Park in Knoxville, TN.  The Bulldogs finished the regular season 9-1 with their only blemish coming at the hands of Sevier County during the regular season.  In a rematch, Maryville defeated Sevier County 6-3 in a single elimination first round playoff game to advance to the double elimination portion of the tournament.  Two come-from-behind thrilling 6-5 wins over Powell and West Valley put the Bulldogs into the championship round. 

The Powell Panthers advanced through the loser's bracket and faced Maryville on Monday with the Dogs needing only a victory to claim the championship.  Both teams battled back-and-forth in a 9 inning classic before Maryville succumbed to Powell 12-8.  Jacob West hit a 3-run homer in a losing cause.  On Tuesday, in a winner take all contest, the Bulldogs and Panthers remained tied at 3 through four innings before Powell pushed two runs across the plate in the fifth.  Despite 5 double plays by Maryville, the Bulldogs committed a number of errors that prevented them from overcoming the 5-3 deficit.  Maryville finished the season at 12-3. 

Team members include Evan Molter, Dalton Curtis, Jonathan Leonard, Kevin Niethammer, Jacob West, Braden Phillips, Brent Harveston, Jordan Cupp, Jay Yoakum, Greg Jones, Drew Curtis, and Ben Breazeale.  The team is coached by Bruce Curtis, Ike Curtis, and Mark Molter.

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