Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – St. Bernard’s senior Nick Dugan delivers a pitch against Clear Lake on Friday.

St. Bernard’s senior Nick Dugan has hit the ground running this season and played a major role in leading his team to a 13-0 win over Clear Lake in their home opener on Friday.

Playing at the St. Bernard’s tournament, Dugan pitched five innings of shutout ball and finished 4-for-4 at the plate, including hitting two home runs.

The Stanford-bound senior struck out 13 in a complete-game, five-inning performance, and he now has 23 strikeouts in nine innings through his first two starts of the season, while going a perfect 8-for-8 at the plate in those games.

Aidan Dorsch also hit a home run in Friday’s opening win, one of two hits for the senior, while Braedan Zimmerman and Perry Bailey both had two hits, including a double.

St. Bernard’s 5, McKinleyville 3

Dugan continued his sensational start to the season with his third home run of the day in a 5-3 win over McKinleyville in the tournament semifinal at the Bear River Sports Complex on Friday night.

Dugan, who also doubled, was 2-for-4 as the Crusaders took control early when he hit a three-run blast in the top of the first, and the team added two more in the fifth after the Panthers had clawed their way back to within one.

Zimmerman also had two hits, including a double, while Dorsch and Drew Vizenor each had a hit.

Dorsch got the win on the mound, throwing five strong innings and allowing just three hits and three walks, while striking out 10.

Tyler Dimmick threw two strong innings in relief.

With their second win of the day, the Crusaders improved to 3-0 on the season and will now play Arcata at the Bear River complex in the championship game on Saturday night at 7 p.m.

St. Bernard’s Aidan Dorsch rounds the bases after hitting a home run in his team’s home opener on Friday.

For McKinleyville, Bryce Sargent, Austin Brown, Riley Bates, Kolbey Stolpe, Tyson Bragg and Jack Saso each had a hit, including a triple by the latter.

Fraser took the loss on the mound, allowing two hits and one walk in three innings and striking out two.

The Panthers are now 4-2. 

McKinleyville 15, South Fork 0, 5 innings

The Panthers got the tournament off to a winning start against the Cubs on Friday morning, scoring six runs in the bottom of the first to quickly take control.

Riley Bates pitched 1.1 hitless innings for the win, striking out four batters, while also finishing 2-for-2 at the plate with a pair of doubles.

Cody Lackey and Beau Karrer each also had two hits, including a double, while Tenoch Tapia added a double.

Bragg, Bryce Sargent, Brodie Sargent, Brown and Fraser each also had a hit in the win.

The St. Bernard’s players react during Friday’s game against Clear Lake.

Middletown 12, Fortuna 7

University Prep 13, Fortuna 7

The Huskies suffered their first losses of the season at the St. Bernard’s tournament on Friday, losing to Middletown and University Prep.

The Fortuna bats came to play, however, racking up 21 hits over the two games, including three home runs, but that wasn’t enough against two quality opponents.

“We did get quite a few hits and I thought our pitchers did well, they threw a lot of strikes,” head coach Andy Olsen said. “They were just two very good ball clubs.”

In game one, Tyler Schlesiger finished 2-for-3 with a home run, while Rylan Lommori was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles.

Matt Letter and Cody Sauers each also had two hits in the loss, while Drew Franklin, Cody Collins, Ciole Victorine and Troy Bugbee each had a hit to round out a 12-hit team performance.

Franklin took the loss on the mound, pitching four innings, with Letter tossing three innings in relief.

Rogan Gans took the loss on the mound in game two.

At the plate, Letter capped a big day with two more hits, including a home run and a double, while Cole Ayala was 1-for-3 and also had a home rum.

Daniel Osborne was 2-for-4, while Lommori, Sauers, Schlesiger and Victorine rounded out a nine-hit team performance.”

The Huskies, who dropped to 5-2, will close out tournament play against South Fork at 1 p.m. at the Bear River Sports Complex on Saturday.