The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity baseball team fell to the Idalou Wildcats on Thursday, 10-0, during game one of their three-game Area Play-off series at Lubbock-Cooper High School.
In the top of the first inning, Major McNeese struck out swinging for out number one and Ian Mendez struck out looking for out number two. Isaiah Rodriguez hit a chopper to third and was thrown out at first to retire the side.
In the home-half of the first, Mendez got Jeter Garcia to fly out to shallow center field on a diving catch by McNeese for out number one. Jack Henley lined out to Markus Rosales in right field, but Eric Garcia blasted a solo homerun to left field to put Idalou in front, 1-0. Mendez would recover on the mound, as he got Cooper Ross to pop up to Adam MacDonald at first to end the inning.
Brenden Bowman led off the top of the second inning with a walk, bringing Sam Hill on as the courtesy runner for the catcher. Hill took second on a bad pickoff to first by Tate Hendley, moving Hill over to second with no outs. Green struck out swinging for out number one, but Rosales hit a fly ball to left field that fell inside the left-field line, for a double, as Hill advanced to third on the play. Elijah Salazar and MacDonald both struck out swinging, stranding two runners in scoring position.
In the bottom half of the second, Mendez got Derek Cantu to strike out swinging for out number one, before Hendley and Colton Hurst drew back-to-back walks for Idalou. Ethan Owens hit a high-chopper up the middle that was fielded by Rodriguez at shortstop, but Owens was able to beat the throw to first, loading the bases for Idalou.
Malakhi Brisco scored on a past ball, as the runners advanced, extending the lead to, 2-0, but Kash Koontz struck out looking for out number two. Jeter Garcia drew a walk to load the bases again for Idalou, but Henley flew out to Gabe Montalvo in left field to end the inning.
Littlefield’s struggles at the plate continued, as Ja’Den Williams and McNeese both struck out looking for two outs to begin the third inning. Mendez hit a grounder to the shortstop that was bobbled and a low throw to first found the fence, allowing Mendez to advance all the way to third on the play. Rodriguez drew a walk and took second on a pitch, but Bowman struck out looking for out number three to retire the side.
In the home-half of the third inning, Eric Garcia hit a soft single through the right side and Ross hit a fly ball to right field that was dropped by Rosales, but he was able to get the force out at second for out number one. Cantu lined out to Rodriguez at shortstop, who was able to throw to first for the double play to end the inning.
Littlefield couldn’t get anything going in the top of the fourth as they went three-upand- three- down. Chip Green struck out looking, Rosales popped up to first base and Salazar struck out swinging to retire the side.
Hendley singled to right field to begin the bottom of the fourth, as Brisco came on as the courtesy runner for the pitcher. Brisco took second on a pitch, before Hurst ripped an RBI-triple into the left-center field gap to make the score, 3-0. Owens was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners for Idalou, as Mednez was relieved on the mound by Rosales.
Koontz laid down a bunt on the first- base side that was fielded by MacDonald, who tried to go home with the play, but a low toss got by Bowman at the plate, allowing a run to score and Koontz to take second on the play with the score, 4-0. Jeter Garcia laid down a bunt on the first-base line that was fielded by Rosales, but the throw got by MacDonald at first base for a two-RBI triple on the error, making the score, 6-0.
Henley followed it up with an RBI-single to left field to push their lead to, 7-0. Henley took second on a low throw to first by Bowman, but Eric Garcia struck out swinging for out number one. Ross drew a walk and Cantu ripped an RBI-single to center field to make the score, 80. Hendley singled to left-center field to load the bases for Idalou, but Ross tried to score on a short past ball, but he was tagged out at the plate by Rosales and Hurst flew out to McNeese in center field to end the inning.
Littlefield was retired in order to begin the fifth inning, and in the bottom half of the fifth, Gabe Villanueva relieved Rosales on the mound for Littlefield.
Owens struck out swinging for out number one, but Koontz singled to center field to give Idalou a base runner. He took second on a pitch, before Jeter Garcia knocked an RBI-single through the left side, taking second on the throw home by Salazar, making the score, 9-0. Henley followed it up with an RBI-single up the middle to walk it off, as Idalou took down Littlefield, 10-0.
Game 2 was Friday at 1 p.m. with the if necessary game three after. Results were not available at press time.