The Sulphur Bulldogs continue to make noise in state baseball circles, improving to 13-1 on the season and moving into a tie atop the 4A- 3 district standings with Tuttle (15-1) and Purcell (10-3) following a championship run in their home tournament this past weekend.
Under first-year head coach, Denton Miller, the Bulldogs have emerged as one of the most explosive teams in the class. Sulphur’s only blemish this season came in a narrow, 10-9 loss at Lindsay on March 13, and since then, the Dogs have continued to build momentum—showcasing an offense that has topped 20 runs in five games this year.
That firepower was on full display during the three-day Sulphur Tournament, where the Bulldogs rolled past Little Axe, Plainview, and a strong Lone Grove squad that entered the weekend at 13-2.
Sulphur opened tournament play Thursday with a dominant 20-0 shutout of Little Axe. Traber Sartors and Aiden Graves combined to throw a no-hitter, striking out six in three innings of work.
“We swung the bat well as a team, combining for 10 hits and 19 RBIs,” said Miller.
The Bulldogs followed that performance with an 8-0 victory over Plainview on Friday. Michael Morris delivered a stellar outing on the mound, allowing just three hits while striking out five over five scoreless innings. Offensively, Sulphur stayed consistent, tallying eight hits and eight RBIs.
Saturday’s championship game provided the toughest test of the weekend, as the Dogs edged Lone Grove 5-4 in a back-andforth battle.
“Drake Wood, Kale Brakfield, and Bridge Barrett competed really well on the mound,” Miller said. “Lone Grove is a really good baseball team. They put a lot of pressure on us defensively, and our guys handled it really well.”
The Bulldogs got on the board with a solo homer by Sartors in the third inning. After falling behind, Sulphur rallied in the fifth when Carter Cole delivered a key double, followed by a sacrifice fly from Morris to even the score.
Barrett gave Sulphur a late lift with a go-ahead solo home run in the sixth inning, but Lone Grove answered in the top of the seventh to tie the game once again.
In the bottom half, Maddax Mobly sparked the game-winning rally with a lead-off single. He later came all the way around to score on a passed ball, sealing the walk-off victory and the tournament title for the Bulldogs.
Several Sulphur players turned in standout performances over the weekend. Morris led the charge at the plate, going 3-for-6 with a double, a home run, seven RBIs, and three walks. Cole added a 4-for-9 showing with three doubles, two RBIs, and four runs scored. Barrett contributed with a double and a home run among his two hits, driving in four runs, while Mobly scored five times and drove in three runs. With the tournament title in hand, Sulphur now turns its attention back to district play. The Bulldogs were scheduled for a Tuesday doubleheader at Pauls Valley before heading to the Kingston Tournament, where they will open play Thursday.
As the season heats up, Sulphur’s combination of timely hitting, strong pitching, and steady leadership under Miller has the Bulldogs firmly in the conversation as one of the top contenders in Class 4A-3.
