The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity baseball team dropped a tough contest to the 3A #6 Bushland Falcons on Tuesday, 3-0, at Wildcat Field in Littlefield.
Bushland took a, 1-0, lead in the first inning, but the Wildcats started to make a little noise offensively in the bottom of the third inning.
Major McNeese flew out to Stratton Molloy in left field for out number one, but Ian Mendez singled to second base on a diving stop by Dawson Jaco to give Littlefield a runner. Mendez would be picked off at first by Cannon Melban to clear the bases with two outs for the Wildcats, but Isaiah Rodriguez singled on an error by Jaco behind first base.
Brenden Bowman drew a walk, as Ja’Den Williams came on as the courtesy runner, but Chip Green flew out to Max Rodriguez in right field to end the inning.
The Wildcat defense went to work in the top of the fourth, after Mendez gave up a lead-off walk to Molloy. Jaco lined out to Gabe Montalvo in left field for out number one, but during the next at bat, Molloy took second on a past ball, before Mendez got Melban to strike out looking for out number two. Noah Kause struck out looking to retire the side.
Josh Bass relieved Melban for Bushlan in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Markus Rosales flew out to Kause at third base for out number one. Elijah Salazar singled on an error by Kause at third base and Armando Ramon singled on a fielder’s choice by Melban at first base, who made a bad throw to second, hitting Salazar in the back on his way to second.
The Falcons would recover, as Montalvo struck out swinging and McNeese grounded out to Kause at third to end the inning.
In the top of the fifth, Mendez pegged the lead-off man, Ty Purcell and he took second on a pitch, before Max Rodriguez lined out to Adam MacDonald at first base for out number one. Jaxon Fetsch singled through the left side, moving Purcell over to third, putting runners on the corners for Bushland.
Fetsch took second on a pitch, but Bass hit a shot to Green at third base, who was able to hold the runner at third, before throwing to first for out number two. Mendez would get Brecken Adams to ground out to Rodriguez at shortstop to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the fifth inning, Mendez struck out swinging to lead things off, but Rodriguez singled over Kause at third base and took second on a bad pick-off to first by Bass. Bowman hit a grounder to shortstop, but a bat throw to first allowed Rodriguez to take third on the play, putting runners on the corners for Littlefield. Williams came on as the courtesy runner for the catcher.
Bushland, though, again would tighten up the defense, as they got Green to hit a short pop up to Kause at third and Rosales to strike out swinging to end the inning.
The Wildcats kept the Falcons quiet in the top of the sixth, but they were unable to produce anything offensively in the bottom half of the inning, as they went threeup and-three down, taking the game into the seventh inning.
Bushland broke through in the top of the seventh, after not scoring since the first inning. Purcell singled through left side and Max Rodriguez drew a walk, before Fetsch ripped an RBI-single to left field to make the score, 2-0. After the play, Max Rodriguez was caught trying to take third by Mendez, Green was there for the tag at third for out number one.
Bass ripped an RBI-double into left-center field to extend their lead to, 3-0, before Adams struck out swinging for out number two. Molloy grounded out to MacDonald at first to retire the side.
The Wildcats would go threeup- and-three down in the bottom of the seventh, as they fell to the Falcons, 3-0.