The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity baseball team swept their season series with the Dimmitt Bobcats on Tuesday with a, 153, victory in six innings.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 19-7 overall, 10-3 in district play.
Major McNeese started on the mound for the Wildcats, pitching four innings, giving up three hits and one run, while earning six strikeouts. Chip Green came on in relief duty and pitched one inning, giving up two hits and one run.
Gabriel Villanueva pitched 0.2 innings giving up one hit, three walks and one run, while Ian Mendez closed out the game, earning the final out, striking out one batter in the contest.
In the top of the first inning, Rudy Fuentes got McNeese to ground out to Cesar Navarro at second base for out number one. Adam MacDonald flew out to Jaden Rodriguez in center field for out number two, but Green singled on a line drive to center field to give the Wildcats a base runner. However, Jakob Kirkland grounded into a fielder’s choice to Navarro at second base, who got the out at second to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the inning, McNeese got Jadrian Herrera to fly pop up to Green at third base for out number one, and he got Fuentes to strike out looking for out number two. Kaden Carpio ripped a double to center field and Ga’Quorie Chatham followed it up with an RBI-double to right field, putting Dimmitt in front, 1- 0. Diego Villareal doubled on a fly ball to right field, but Chatham was thrown out at the plate trying to score to end the inning.
In the top of the second inning, Dawson Adkins grounded out to Samuel Gonzalez at first base for out number one, but Bradyn Redman drew a walk and stole second on a pitch, before Mendez singled on an error by Herrera at third base that allowed Redman to score, tying the game, 1- 1. Mendez was thrown out trying for third on the play for out number two.
Jayden Kirkland strick out swinging to retire the side.
McNeese got the Bobcats to go three-up-and-three-down in the bottom half of the second inning, as Angel Esqueda and Rodriguez both struck out swinging and Kreed Bruton popped up to Adkins at second base to end the inning.
The score remained deadlocked at, 1-1, until the top of the fourth inning, when Jakob Kirkland led things off with a single to center field. Adkins laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Jakob Kirkland over to second with one out. Redman and Mendez drew back- to- back walks to load the bases and Jayden Kirkland hit a line drive to center field to score two runs, pushing their lead to, 3-1.
Gabe Mata came in to run for the catcher, and Villanueva laid down a bunt and reached base safely to load the bases for the Wildcats. But, McNeese was called out on the infield fly rule for out number two and MacDonald flew out to Bruton in left field to retire the side.
McNeese went back to work on the mound in the bottom of the fourth, as he got Carpio to strike out swinging for out number one. Gonzalez was thrown out at first on a dropped third strike, but Villareal popped up to Blayton Soliz in right field, reaching on an error to give the Bobcats a base runner. He would be stranded, as Esqueda struck out swinging to end the inning.
Green led off the fifth inning with a double to center field for the Wildcats and Jakob Kirkland drew a walk, putting runners on first and second. Adkins laid down a sacrifice bunt to Gonzalez at second base, who got the out at first as the runners advanced to second and third on the play with one out.
Redman laid down a sacrifice bunt to Bruton on the mound, who got the out at first, as Green scored and Jakob Kirkland advanced to third with the score, 4-1. Mendez would pop up to Carpio in left field to retire the side.
Dimmitt would break through in the bottom half of the fifth, as Bruton singled to left field and stole second on a pitch, before Rodriguez laid down a sacrifice bunt to Green on the mound, who got the out at first as Bruton advanced to third with one out.
Frankie Cortez singled on a line drive to right field to drive in a run, trimming the lead to, 42. Green, though, would get Herrera to pop up to him on the mound for out number two and he got Fuentes to fly out to McNeese in center field to end the inning.
In the top of the sixth inning, Jayden Kirkland and Villanueva led off the inning with back-toback singles, putting runners on the corners for the Wildcats. McNeese hit a sacrifice grounder to to Fuentes at first base, as Mata scored and Villanueva advanced to third, making the score, 5-2. Villanueva scored on a passed ball to push the lead to, 6- 2, before MacDonald drew a walk to give the Wildcats another base runner.
Green and Jakob Kirkland were both hit by a pitch to load the bases and Adkins was hit by a pitch to bring in a run, making the score, 7- 2. Redman was called out on an infield fly to third base for out number two, but Mendez drove in a run with a single to shortstop and Jayden Kirkland reached on an error by Carpio at third base to score a run, making the score, 9-2.
Villanueva ripped a two-RBI double to right field, stretching the lead to, 11-2, and McNeese drew a walk to load the bases for the Wildcats. Mata scored on a passed ball, as the runners advanced to extend their lead to, 12-2, before MacDonald was hit by a pitch to re-load the bases. Green reached on an error by Carpio at third base, as Villanueva scored to stretch the lead to, 13-2.
Jakob Kirkland drew a walk to bring in a run and Adkins singled on a line drive to left field to score MacDonald from third, making the score, 15-2. Redman would strike out looking to retire the side.
Dimmitt would add a run in the bottom of the sixth, before being run-ruled by the Wildcats, 15-3, in six innings.
The Wildcats closed out their regular season on Friday against Shallowater. Results were not available at press time. The Wildcats await their bi-district matchup.