Dover season ends in regional

Dover’s bid to return to the state baseball tournament was ended on Friday.

The Longhorns were eliminated from their Class B regional with an 8-3 loss to Moss at Varnum.

Their season ended with a 12-12 mark just one season after winning only three games.

In Thursday’s opener, Dover was handed a 20-0 defeat by the fourth-ranked host team.

Also in opening-round action, No. 5 Whitesboro defeated No. 11 Moss 8-5.

Later on Thursday, Varnum handed Whitesboro a 12-2 defeat to advance to state and send Whitesboro to the consolation bracket.

That meant Dover would need to defeat both Moss and Whitesboro on Friday to advance to state as well.

The Longhorns were tied 1-1 with Moss through four full innings, but the Pirates broke loose with five runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Dover closed the gap to 6-2 in the sixth, but Moss got two more runs in the bottom of the frame.

Joriaun Caldwell had two of Dover’s seven hits and also drove in a run.

Damion Turner was 1 for 2 with an RBI.

Lance Dunigan and Pedro Valles scored Dover’s runs.

Turner was solid through four-plus innings before the Pirates got to him.

He threw 5 1/3 innings, gave up seven hits and struck out seven.

Five of the eight runs he surrendered were earned.

Moss later saw its attempt to reach state cut short when it was eliminated 4-1 by Whitesboro.