The Littlefield Wildcats’varsity baseball team sent their seniors out with a victory on Tuesday in their last home game on Wildcat Field, as they took down the Dimmitt Bobcats, 4-1.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 6-7 in district play.
Gabe Mata pitched seven innings for the Wildcats, giving up two hits, two walks and one earned run, while striking out four batters.
The Wildcat defense made quick work of the Bobcats in the top of the first inning, as Mata got Kaden Carpio to strike out swinging for out number one. Jadrian Herrera flew out to Ana Ayala in center field and Ga’Quorie Chatham popped up to Kyzer Billingsley at second base to retire the side.
In the home-half of the first, Mata lined out to Uriel Prieto at second base for the first out of the inning, butAyala hit a high chopper over Angel Esqueda at third base to give the Wildcats a base runner. Cayson Villarreal hit a chopper to Herrera at shortstop, who got the out at second. Villarreal turned into the field and was tagged out by Chatham to end the inning.
The Wildcats got the Bobcats to go three-up-and-threedown in the top of the second, as Mata got Diego Villarreal to strike out swinging for out number one. Prieto popped up to Mata on the mound for out number two and Esqueda grounded out to Soliz at third base to retire the side.
Jayden Kirkland was thrown out at first base on a dropped third strike to begin the bottom half of the second inning, but Billingsley drew a walk and DawsonAdkins singled through the right side to give Littlefield a pair of base runners. CJ Weaver singled to right field to load the bases, but on a squeeze bunt, Tate Clark pulled back on a low pitch, as Billingsley ran into a tag at the plate for out number two.
Clark would fly out to right field to end the inning, as the Wildcats stranded two runners on base.
The Wildcat defense continued to make quick work of the Bobcats into the third inning, as Fuentes chopped out to Mata on the mound for out number one. Kreed Bruton struck out swinging for out number two and Frakie Cortez grounded out to Adkins at shortstop to retire the side.
The Wildcats couldn’t break through in the bottom of the third, as Soliz flew out to Bruton in left field for out number one and Mata flew out to Cortez in right field for out number two. Ayala would chop out to the pitcher, Fuentes, who got the out at first base to end the inning.
The defensive battle continued into the top of the fourth, as Carpio popped up to Billingsley at second base for out number one. Herrera drew a walk to give Dimmitt a base runner, but Chatham flew out to Cayson Villarreal in deep left field for out number two, and Herrera was picked on at second by Kirkland, as Adkins slapped the tag on him at second base to retire the side.
In the bottom of the fourth, Cayson Villarreal grounded out to Herrera at shortstop, but Kirkland drew a walk and stole second on a passed ball and third on a ball away from Diego Villarreal behind the plate, before Billingsley drew a walk to put runners on the corners. Adkins blasted a two-RBI double in the right-center field gap to put the Wildcats in front, 2-0.
Weaver hit a sacrifice grounder to Herrera at shortstop, who got the out at first, as Adkins advanced to third on the throw with two outs. Clark knocked an RBI-single up the middle to extend their lead to, 3-0. Clark would take second on a passed ball and he stole third on another passed ball and scored on the throw down to third that got by Esqueda, pushing their lead to, 4-0, before Soliz struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Bobcats collected their first hit of the game in the top of the fifth, as Diego Villarreal ripped a double to right field. Prieto was thrown out at first on a dropped third strike by Kirkland, as Diego Villarreal advanced to third with one out. Esqueda popped up to Adkins at shortstop for out number two, but Fuentes followed it up with an RBI-single through the right side to make the score, 41. Mata would get Bruton to pop up to Adkins behind second base to retire the side.
The score would stand over the final two innings, as Littlefield went on to take the contest, 4-1, in their final home game of the season.
The Wildcats closed out their regular season on the road on Friday against Shallowater. Results were not available at press time.