The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity baseball team overcame a slow start in game three of their Class 3A Area Play-off series on Saturday to take down the Denver City Mustangs, 15-5, to clinch the series and advance to the Class 3A Regional Semi-Finals.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 23-9 overall on the year.
Ian Mendez threw a complete game for the Wildcats, throwing six innings, giving up eight hits, two walks and five runs, three earned, while striking out two batters.
It was a defensive battle through the first inning, but in the top of the second inning, Jacen Yanez and Gavin Garcia drew backto- back walks for the Mustangs, before Mendez got Daniel Vasquez flew out to Gabriel Villanueva in left field for out number one. David Franco hit an RBI-single to left field to put Denver City in front, 1-0.
The runners advanced to second and third on a passed ball, but Erik Sinaloa flew out to Major McNeese in center field and Sanchez was doubled up at third on the play to retire the side.
The Wildcats came to the plate in the home-half of the second inning, as Jakob Kirkland, Dawson Adkins and Bradyn Redman drew three consecutive walks to load the bases. However, Mendez hit a grounder to Yanez at third, who went home with it to cut the run, and then the catcher, Garcia, threw to first for the double play. Jayden Kirkland would ground out to Jonathan Martinez at shortstop to end the inning.
In the top of the third, Mendez got Daniel Gonzales to pop up to Adam MacDonald at first base for out number one, but Andres Ornelas reached base on a dropped third strike that got by Jayden Kirkland behind the plate and Martinez followed it up with a double to right field, putting two runners in scoring position.
Samrey Garcia drove in a run with a line drive to right field, putting runners on the corners with the score, 2-0. The courtesy runner Ortega was awarded second on a balk by Mendez, as Martinez scored to make the score, 3-0. Yanez would pop up to Mendez in foul territory for out number two and Garcia struck out looking to retire the side.
The score remained, 3-0, in favor of the Mustangs until the bottom of the fourth inning, as Green drew a walk and took second on a passed ball, before Jakob Kirkland laid down a sacrifice bunt to Garcia on the mound, who got the out at first, as Green advanced to third on the play. Adkins knocked an RBI-single to left field to get the Wildcats on the board, trimming the lead to, 3-1.
Redman hit an infield single to Yanez at third base and Mendez struck out swinging for out number two, but an error by the catcher, Garcia, allowed the runners to advance to second and third. Jayden Kirkland singled on a line drive to right field, scoring two runs to tie the game, 3-3. The courtesy runner, Blayton Soliz stole second on a pitch and third on a passed ball before Gabriel Villanueva drew a walk to put runners on the corners for Littlefield. Villanueva got into a rundown long enough for Soliz to score from third to give the Wildcats the lead, 4-3, before he was tagged out to end the inning.
In the top of the fifth inning, Ornelas tripled on a line drive to right field and Martinez followed it up with an RBI-single to center field, tying the game, 4-4. Samrey Garcia singled to left field, putting runners on the corners for Denver City, but Samrey Garcia was picked off at first by Mendez for out number one, and Yanez popped up to MacDonald at first base for out number two. Mendez would get Gavin Garcia to line out to McNeese in center field to retire the side.
The Wildcats broke the game wide open in the bottom half of the fifth, as McNeese drew a lead off walk to give Littlefield a base runner. MacDonald laid a bunt down towards third base, that was fielded by Yanez, but he air-mailed the throw, as the ball rolled all the way to the right field corner, as two runs scored, putting the Wildcats back in front, 6-4.
Green singled to center field, taking second on an error by Gonzales in center field and Jakob Kirkland followed it u with a single to third, putting runners on the corners for Littlefield. Jakob Kirkland stole second on a pitch, but Adkins popped up to Samrey Garcia in right field for out number one. Redman singled on a line drive to right field to score Green and moved Jakob Kirkland to third, making the score, 7-4.
Mendez laid down a bunt that was fielded by the catcher, Gavin Garcia, and thrown to first for out number two. Jayden Kirkland, though, would drive in a run with a line drive to center field, making the score, 8-4, with runners on first and second. Soliz came on as the courtesy runner for the catcher and Villanueva drove an RBI-single to left field, extending their lead to, 94.
MCNeese drew a walk to load the bases and MacDonald hit a pop fly to shallow left field, as Yanez called off the left fielder, but dropped the ball, allowing Villanueva and Soliz to score, pushing their lead to, 114. Green would ground out to Yanez at third, who threw across to first for the third out to end the inning.
In the top of the sixth, Mendez and the Wildcat defense recorded two quick outs, as Vasquez grounded out to Mendez on the mound and Franco popped up to Redman at second base. Sinaloa was hit by a pitch and he stole second, before Gonzales singled to center field, putting runners on the corners for the Mustangs. Gonzalez singled on an error by Adkins at third base, as Sinaloa scored, but Gonzales was thrown out at home to retire the side with the score, 115.
In the home-half of the sixth, Jakob Kirkland was hit by a pitch to lead things off and Adkins laid down a bunt reaching on an error by Joaquin Hurtado. Redmand laid down a bunt and reached on an error by Ornelas, as Jakob Kirkland scored to make the score, 12-5, with runners on the corners.
Mendez roped a two-RBI double to left field, stretching the lead to, 14-5, and Jayden Kirkland followed it up with a bunt to Ornelas at first for a single, as Mendez advanced to third on the play. Villanueva popped up to Sinaloa in left field for out number one, but McNeese laid down a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher, Hurtado, who got the out at first as Mendez scored to walkit- off against the Mustangs, 15-5.
The Wildcats will begin a threegame series with Iowa Park on Friday at Abilene Christian University. Game one is Friday at 7 p.m., Game two is Saturday at 1 p.m. and Game three is 30 minutes after game two, if necessary.