The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity baseball team went on the road Tuesday night and took down the Friona Chieftains, 11-5, to sweep the season series.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 5-6 in district play.
Blayton Soliz started on the mound for the Lady Cats, pitching 2.2 innings, giving up two hits, two walks and three runs, two earned, while striking out four batters. Gabe Mata pitched 4.1 innings, giving up five hits and three runs, 0 earned, while striking out four batters.
In the top of the first inning, Mata drew a lead off walk and stole second on a dropped pick-off to first by Hector Aguirre and he took third on a wild pitch to put runners on the corners for Littlefield.
Cayson Villarreal drew a walk to load the bases, but Jayden Kirkland hit into a fielder’s choice, as Friona went to home plate for the out to stop a run from scoring.
Kyzer Billingsley struck out swinging for out number two, but Dawson Adkins singled under the glove of Mason Ramos at shortstop to drive in two runs, putting the Wildcats in front, 2-0. Soliz was hit by a pitch to reload the bases, but Tate Clark hit into a fielder’s choice to third base to retire the side.
Soliz got Eli Rosales to pop up to Adkins behind second base to begin the bottom half of the first inning, and he got Jameson Daniels to strike out swinging for out number two. Aaron Rosales singled through the right side to give Friona a base runner, but Aiden Tafoya struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Wildcats came to the plate in the top of the second inning, as Carlos Almance flew out to center field for out number one. Mata singled to right-center field and he stole second on a pitch and was awarded third base on a balk, before Ayala walked to put runners on the corners.
Villarreal had an RBIsingle fall in right field to make the score, 3-0, but Kirkland lined out to Thomas Cook in left field for out number two. Billingsley picked him up with an RBIsingle over first base to score Ayala and move Villarreal over to third, leaving runners on the corners with the score extended to, 4-0.
Adkins, though, would pop up to Rosales behind the mound to retire the side.
Ramos drew a lead-off walk in the home-half of the second for Friona, but Aguirre struck out looking for out number one. Cook was hit by a pitch, but Soliz recovered, as he got Kyson Grimsley to strike out swinging for out number two. A miss-communication on a pick-off to first rolled down the fence line in right field allowing Ramos to score from second, trimming the lead to, 4-1.
Rafael Rocha would ground out to Mata at shortstop to end the inning.
The Wildcats were kept quiet in the top of the third inning, and in the bottom half, Eli Rosales grounded out for out number one. Daniels singled on an error by CJ Weaver at first base and he took second on a ball in the dirt, before Aaron Rosales drew a walk, putting runners on the corners as the ball got past Kirkland behind the plate.
Friona tried to steal, but Soliz stepped off the rubber and threw to second, but the throw was cut off by Mata and fired to the plate, as Kirkland slapped the tag on Daniels trying to score, for out number two. Ramos ripped a two-RBI double over third base to cut the lead to, 5-3, and Aguirre was hit by a pitch, as Mata relieved Soliz on the mound for Littlefield.
Mata would get Cook to strike out swinging, as Friona stranded two runners on base.
Villarreal got the Wildcats going with a single under the glove of the shortstop and he would steal second on a pitch and third on a passed ball, before Kirkland was thrown out at first on a dropped third strike for out number one. Villarreal would score on the play to make the score, 6-3.
Billingsley singled through the left side and took sec- ond on some heads-up base running and Adkins drew a walk to give the Wildcats a pair of base runners. Billingsley stole third on a heads-up play, as Adkins took second; Billingsley would score on an error by Friona, pushing their lead to, 7-3. Adkins, though, would get picked off by Tafoya at third base to retire the side.
In the bottom of the fourth Grimsley and Rocha put together a pair of singles for Friona, but Eli Rosales hit into a fielder’s choice to Soliz at third, who stepped on the bag for out number one. A miss-communication on a pick-off to first by Mata allowed Rocha to score and Eli Rosales to advance to third, trimming the lead to, 7-4.
Daniels hit a sacrifice fly to right-center field, allowing Eli Rosales to tag-up and score from third, cutting the lead to, 7-5, with two outs. Mata got Aaron Rosales to ground out to Adkins at second base to end the inning.
Both teams went scoreless in the fifth inning, and in the top of the sixth, Villarreal led things off with a single and he stole second on a pitch, before Kirkland flew out to Aaron Rosales in left-center field for out number one. Billingsley and Adkins drew back-to-back walks to load the bases and Soliz drew a walk to drive in a run making the score, 8-5.
Clark hit a two- RBI single under the glove of Eli Rosales at second base to extend the lead to, 10-5. Almance hit into a fielder’s choice to Ramos on the mound, as they threw to second for the force out. Mata drove in a run with an RBI-single to left-center field, but Soliz got caught in a rundown between second and third, before being tagged out at third to retire the side.
The score stood, 11-5, until the bottom of the seventh inning when Aaron Rosales singled past Soliz at third base to lead things off. Tafoya flew out to Villarreal in left field for out number one and Ramos hit a shot back to Mata on the mound, but the throw to second was off the mark and dropped by Billingsley, leaving runners on first and second.
Aguirre hit a grounder to Billingsley at shortstop and beat the throw to first to load the bases, and Cook hit into a fielder’s choice to Billingsley at shortstop, who got the out at second, as a run score to make the score, 11-6, with two outs. Mata got Grimsley to ground out to Billingsley at shortstop to end the game.
The Wildcats were at home on Saturday to take on Slaton. Results were not available at press time. They will continue their season on Tuesday with a home game against Dimmitt.
First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.