SWEETWATER – The District 7-2A runner-up Bangs Dragons saw their baseball season reach its conclusion Thursday night in the bi-district round of the Region I-2A playoffs, dropping the first two games of their series against the District 8-2A third-seeded Stamford Bulldogs, 24-10 and 8-5.

In Game 1, the Dragons (18-10-2) trailed 3-1 going into the third inning, where Stamford scored eight runs. The Bulldogs (19-9) added six more in the top of the fourth inning to stretch the lead to 17-1, but Bangs answered with eight runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Neither team scored in the fifth inning, and Bangs faced a 17-9 deficit heading into the sixth where Stamford tacked on seven more runs. The Dragons could only muster one run in the bottom of the sixth.

Bangs finished with 13 hits led by three from Guy Powell, two each from Skylar Minshew and Brayden Fields, and one apiece from Weston Jundt, Ethan Ethridge, Kenny Cole, Hunter Newton, Zack Ferguson and Hunter Crowell. Cole and Fields collected two RBIs apiece while Ethridge and Newton notched one RBI each.

On the mound, Jundt, Ethridge, Minshew, Cole and Ferguson combined to yield 11 earned runs on 10 hits with two strikeouts and 13 walks. The Dragon defense was credited with 11 errors.

In Game 2, Bangs grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning but Stamford answered with four runs in the bottom half to seize control. The Dragons added a second run in the second inning, but the Bulldogs fired back with four additional runs in the bottom of the third for an 8-2 edge.

The Dragons crept within 8-4 in the top of the fourth inning, and added another run in the seventh but could not complete the comeback despite holding Stamford scoreless over its last three trips to the plate.

Bangs finished with 11 hits, drew one walk and was aided by five Stamford errors.

Powell led the charge with three hits followed by Jundt and Fields with two apiece and Ethridge, Cole, Newton and Minshew with one hit each.

Skylar Minshew, Kade Minshew and Fields teamed up to allow five earned runs on eight hits with 10 strikeouts and six walks. The Bangs defense committed three errors behind them.