The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity baseball team completed the season- sweep of the Slaton Tigers on Thursday with a, 13-8, victory at Wildcat Field.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 18-7 overall, 9-3 in district play.
Ian Mendez started on the mound for the Wildcats pitching 3.1 innings, giving up three hits, one walk and three runs, two earned, while striking out three batters. Chip Green came on in relief and pitched two innings, giving up four hits, one walk and five runs, and Major McNeese closed out the game, pitching the final 1.2 innings, giving up one walk, while striking out one batter.
Mendez got the Tigers to go three-up-and-three-down in the top of the first inning, as he got Riley Martinez to strike out swinging for out number one. Tate Reed grounded out to Green at shortstop for out number two and Jacob Lopez grounded out to Green at shortstop to retire the side.
In the home-half of the first, McNeese flew out to Daniel Payne in foul territory for out number one, but Adam MacDonald followed it up with a double to center field and Green reached on an error by the pitcher, Ashton Garcia, as MacDonald advanced to third to put runners on the corners for Littlefield.
MacDonald and Green both scored on an error by Garcia on the mound to make the score, 2-0, before Jakob Kirkland struck out swinging for out number two. Bradyn Redman would fly out to Payne in right field to end the inning.
Mendez picked up a quick out in the top of the second inning, as he got Grant Schilling to ground out to Green at shortstop for out number one. However, Payne hit a fly ball to right field and reached on an error by Jakob Kirkland, landing Payne on second for the Tigers. Payne took third on a passed ball, before Jeremy Floyd grounded into a fielder’s choice to Mendez on the mound, who got Payne out trying to score for out number two.
Tabor Vergara singled to left field, but Alberto Luera was thrown out at first on a dropped third strike by Jayden Kirkland to retire the side.
Dawson Adkins got the Wildcats going in the bottom half of the inning with a double to left field. Mendez and Jayden Kirkland drew back-to-back walks to load the bases and Gabriel Villanueva walked to bring in a run and make the score, 3-0. McNeese kept it going with an RBI-single to right field, pushing the lead to, 4-0, as Mendez scored for Littlefield.
MacDonald grounded into a fielder’s choice to Martinez at third, who got the out at the plate for out number two. McNeese would score on a passed ball to stretch the lead to, 5- 0, as MacDonald advanced to second on the play and Green drew a walk to put runners on first and second with two outs. The runners advanced to second and third on a pitch, before MacDonald scored on an error by Aiden Kelly behind the plate, making the score, 6-0, as Green advanced to third on the play. Jakob Kirkland, though, would strike out swinging to end the inning.
In the top of the third, Thomas Cardenas was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning for the Tigers. He stole second on a passed ball, but Martinez hit into a fielder’s choice to Green at shortstop, who got the out at third for out number one. Reed drew a walk, and the runners advanced to second and third on a passed ball, before Lopez popped up to Redman at second base for out number two. Martinez scored on a wild pitch to get the Tigers on the board, trimming the lead to, 6-1, before Schilling flew out to Jakob Kirkland in right field to retire the side.
The Wildcats were kept quiet in the bottom half of the third and in the top of the fourth, the Tigers picked back up where they left off. Payne struck out looking for out number one, but Floyd was hit by a pitch and he stole second, before Vergara singled to center field, putting runners on the corners for Slaton. Vergara stole second on a passed ball, before Floyd scored on a passed ball to make the score, 6-2, as Vergara advanced to third on the play.
Luera knocked an RBI-single through the right side to trim the lead to, 6-3, but he would get caught two far off the bag at first, as he was picked off by Jayden Kirkland for out number two. Cardenas singled to left field and Martinez followed it up with an RBI-single to right field, slicing the lead to, 6-4. Reed would ground out to Green on the mound, who got the out at first to retire the side.
In the bottom of the fourth, McNeese grounded out to Schilling at shortstop and MacDonald lined out to Schilling at shortstop for two quick outs, but Green singled to center field and Jakob Kirkland followed it up with a line drive to left field, taking second on the throw in from the outfield, putting runners on second and third with two outs.
Green scored on a passed ball, as Jakob Kirkland advanced to third, making the score, 7-4, and Redman singled on an infield hit to Schilling at shortstop to bring in a run, pushing the lead out to, 8-4, before Adkins grounded into a fielder’s choice to Reed at second base, who got the out at second to end the inning.
Green made quick work of the Tigers in the top of the fifth inning, as he got Lopez to fly out to McNeese in center field, and he got Schilling to pop up to Redman at second base for out number two. Payne grounded out to Green on the mound to retire the side.
Mendez opened the bottom of the fifth with a single to Schilling at shortstop, and stole second on a pitch, before Jayden Kirkland flew out to Floyd in left field for out number one. Villanueva laid down a bunt and reached base safely, as Mendez advanced to third putting runners on the corners for the Wildcats.
Villanueva stole second ona pitch, before McNeese grounded into a fielder’s choice to Schilling at shortstop, but the Tigers couldn’t get an out, as Mendez scored, Villanueva advanced to third and McNeese took second on the play, making the score, 9-4. MacDonald kept it going with a hard grounded to Schilling at shortstop, reaching on an error, as Villanueva and McNeese both scored to stretch the lead to, 11-4.
Green laid down a bunt on the third base side to reach base, as MacDonald advanced to second, but Jakob Kirkland struck out swinging for out number two. Redman was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Adkins grounded out to Martinez at third to end the inning.
Slaton would break through again in the top of the sixth, as Floyd was hit by a pitch from Green, and he would steal second on a pitch, before Vergara popped up to MacDonald at first base for out number one. Luera ripped an RBI-triple to right field to trim the lead to, 11-5. Cardenas drew a walk to put runners on the corners for the Tigers and Martinez followed it up with a two-RBI triple to right field, cutting the lead to, 11-7.
Martinez scored on a passed ball to make the score, 11-8, but McNeese got Reed to ground out to him on the mound for out number two, and he got Lopez to fly out to Jakob Kirkland in right field to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the sixth, Mendez grounded out to Martinez at third for out number one, but Jayden Kirkland ripped a double to center field, as Blayton Soliz came on as the courtesy runner for the catcher. Villanueva hit a sacrifice grounded to third and reached on an error by Martinez as Soliz advanced to third on the play. McNeese kept it going with a two-RBI triple to center field, extending their lead to, 13-8.
MacDonald would ground into a fielder choice to Martinez at third, who got McNeese out at the plate trying to score for out number two. Green was hit by a pitch, but Jakob Kirkland hit into a fielder’s choice to Martinez at third base, who stepped on the bag at third to end the inning.
McNeese slammed the door on the Tigers in the top of the seventh, giving up just one walk in the inning, as Littlefield went on to take the contest, 13-8.
The Wildcats were at Dimmitt on Tuesday to take on the Bobcats. Results were not available at press time. They will close out their regular season on Friday with a home game against Shallowater for senior night.
First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.