The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity baseball team took down the Slaton Tigers on the road Tuesday night, 16-5, in Slaton.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 13-5 overall, 4-1 in district play.
The Wildcats were kept quiet in the top of the first inning, as Major McNeese popped out to Jeremy Floyd on the third-base side for out number one. Adam MacDonald flew out to Riley Martinez behind third base for out number two and Bradyn Redman flew out to Thomas Cardenas in left field to retire the side.
In the home-half of the first, Martinez doubled to left-center field to lead things off for the Tigers, before Ian Mendez got Jacob Lopez to strike out swinging for out number one. Kenon Diaz drew a walk and Floyd hit a sacrifice fly ball to Jakob Kirkland in right field that allowed Martinez to score and Diaz to advance to second with two outs and the Tigers in front, 1-0. Mendez got Cardenas to fly out to Jakob Kirkland in right-center field to end the inning.
Chip Green flew out to Cardenas in deep left field to begin the second inning, but Gabe Mata singled to left field to give the Wildcats their first base runner of the day. He took second and third on passed balls, before Mendez drew a walk to put runners on the corners for Littlefield. Jakob Kirkland ripped a two-RBI double down the third-base line to put the Wildcats in front, 2-1, and he would end up stealing second on a pitch and scoring on a bad throw down to third by the catcher to make the score, 3-1.
Jayden Kirkland ripped a double off of the left- field fence, as Blayton Soliz came on as the courtesy runner for the catcher. However, Gabriel Villanueva would fly out to left-center field, but Soliz would tag up and advance to third with two outs. McNeese, though, would line out to Alberto Luera at second base to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the second, Mendez gave up a lead-off walk to Tabor Vergara, and Jacob Luna followed it up with a sacrifice bunt to Mendez, who got the out at first as Vergara moved over to second with one out. Luera laid a bunt down on the first-base line, but there was no play for Mendez, leaving runners on the corners.
Mendez would get Grant Schilling to strike out looking for out number two, but on the next play, Luera stole second on a throw down to second that was cut off by Green, but a bad throw to the plate allowed Vergara to score to cut the lead to, 3- 2. Martinez and Lopez drew back-toback walks to load the bases, as McNeese relieved Mendez on the mound for the Wildcats.
Diaz hit a two-RBI single under the glove of Green at third to give Slaton the lead, 4-3, and Floyd followed it up with an RBI-single to second base on an error by Mata, making the score, 5-3. McNeese got Cardenas to strike out swinging to end the inning.
In the top of the third, MacDonald laid down a bunt on the third- base side that was bobbled by Floyd, giving Littlefield a runner. Redman hit a sacrifice grounder to Schilling at third, who got the out at first, as MacDonald advanced to second with one out. Green laid a bunt down on the first base side, and MacDonald advanced to third on the play to put runners on thr corners for Littlefield.
Mata hit a grounder to Schilling at third, reaching second on a throwing error to first, as MacDonald scored and Green advanced to third, trimming the lead to, 5-4. Mendez lined out to Luna in right-center field for out number two, but Green scored on a passed ball, as Mata moved over to third, tying the game, 5-5, and Jakob Kirkland followed it up with an RBI-single up the middle to put the Wildcats back in front, 6-5. Jayden Kirkland would fly out to deep center field to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the third, Vergara flew out to Redman in shallow center field for out number one and Luna struck out swinging for out number two. Luera laid down a bunt that was fielded by McNeese, who threw to first for the out to end the inning.
The Wildcats picked back up where they left off to begin the fourth inninng, as Villanueva singled up the middle and McNeese doubled on a drop by Luna in right field. MacDonald popped up to Schilling in foul territory at third base for out number one, but Redman hit a two-RBI sacrifice fly to left-center field, making the score, 8-5, with two outs.
Green singled on an infield hit to Martinez at shortstop and he took second on a pitch and third on a throw down passed second base, but Mata was called for interference on the play to retire the side.
McNeese and the Wildcats defense made quick work of the Tigers in the bottom half of the fourth, as Schilling struck out swinging, Martinez grounded out to Mendez at shortstop and Lopez chopped out to Mendez at shortstop to end the inning.
The score stood until the top of the sixth when the Wildcats came to the plate. Villanueva laid down a bunt towards Vergara away from the bag at first and nobody covered to give the Wildcats a base runner. McNeese laid down a bunt that died on the third-base line, but Villanueva was thrown out trying to go first to third on the play.
MacDonald was hit by a pitch and Redman walked to load the bases for Littlefield, as Martinez relieved Floyd on the mound for Slaton. Green hit a two-RBI single up the middle to make the score, 10-5, with runners on the corners. Green took second on a pitch, before Mata struck out swinging for out number two. Redman caught the defense napping as he stole home on a throw back to the pitcher and Mendez followed it up with an RBI-double off of the leftfield fence, stretching their lead to, 12-5.
Jakob Kirkland kept the rally going with an RBI-single up the middle to push the lead to, 13-5, and Jayden Kirkland followed it up with an RBI-double over first base to extend their lead to, 14-5. Villauneva drew a walk, but McNeese flew out to Lopez in center field to retire the side.
The Wildcats got the Tigers to go three-up-and-three-down in the bottom half of the sixth and in the top of the seventh, MacDonald single to left field and stole second on a ball in the dirt and third on a wild pitch, before Redman hit a chopper to Schilling at third, who went home to try and prevent the run, but MacDonald was safe at the plate, pushing their lead to, 15-5.
Green popped up to Martinez in foul territory on the third base side for out number one, but Mata was hit by a pitch and the runners advanced to second and third on a passed ball, before Mendez hit a sacrifice grounder to Luera at shortstop, who got the out at first, as Redman scored and Mata advanced to third, making the score, 16-5. Mata would get into a rundown between second and third before he was tagged out to retire the side.
McNeese and the Wildcat defense slammed the door on the Tigers in the bottom half of the seventh, taking the contest, 16-5.
Mendez started on the mound for the Wildcats pitching 1.2 innings, giving up two hits, four walks and five runs, two earned, while striking out two batters. McNeese pitching the final 5.1 innings earning five strikeouts.
The Wildcats hosted Dimmitt on Saturday. Results were not avaialable at press time. They will continue their season in Shallowater on Tuesday when they take on the Mustangs to close out the first half of district play.
First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.