The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity baseball team fell to the Shallowater Mustangs on Saturday, 2-0, in their regular season finale at Wildcat Field.
With the loss, the Wildcats finish the regular season with a mark of 19-8 overall, 10-4 in district play.
Major McNeese pitched a complete game for the Wildcats, throwing seven innings, giving up 10 hits, one walks and two runs, while earning four strikeouts.
McNeese and the Wildcat defense made quick work of the Mustang offense in the top of the first inning, as Maddox McDonald flew out to Jakob Kirkland in right field for out number one. McNeese got Clayton Vincent to strike out looking for out number two, but Gerrit Boschma doubled off of the right- field fence to give Shallowater a base runner. However, he would be left stranded, as Zack Scott flew out to Bradyn Redman in deep center field to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the inning, McNeese singled over Brayden Gurney at shortstop to give the Wildcats a base runner and Adam MacDonald was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs. Chip Green, though, would pop up to Gurney at shortstop for out number one, but the runners would pull off a double steal on a pitch, before Jakob Kirkland chopped out to Kale Moore on the mound for out number two. Dawson Adkins would line out to Moore on the mound to end the inning.
McNeese got Gurney to pop up to MacDonald at first base to begin the second inning, but Kaedyn Carter singled down the third-base line and took second on a pitch to get into scoring position for Shallowater. Rylen Ramos flew out to Redman in center field and after the play the Wildcats threw the ball to second base and Carter was called out for leaving early on the tag-up to retire the side.
In the home-half of the second inning, Redman hit a slow roller to Moore on the mound, but a high throw to first gave the Wildcats a base runner. However, Ian Mendez struck out looking for out number one, Jayden Kirkland struck out swinging for out number two and Gabriel Villanueva flew out to Rylen Blackburn in deep center field to end the inning.
In the top of the third inning, Blaine St. Clair singled to left field to lead off the inning, and Blackburn laid down a bunt that was fielded by McNeese and thrown to first for the out, as St. Clair advanced to second on the play. McDonald hit a shot to right field and took second on the throw home from Jakob Kirkland, but McDonald would get picked off at second by McNeese, as Mendez was there for the tag and Vincent grounded out to Adkins at second base to retire the side.
The Wildcat offense continued to struggle piecing something together in the bottom of the third, as McNeese flew out to St. Clair in right field for out number one. MacDonald grounded out to Moor on the mound, but Green drew a walk and Jakob Kirkland was hit by a pitch to give the Wildcats a pair of base runners. Adkins, though, would ground out to Gurney up the middle to end the inning.
Shallowater broke through in the top of the fourth inning, as Boschma lifted a ball over the right- field fence for a solo homerun to put the Mustangs up, 1-0. McNeese would bounce back on the mound, as he got Scott to fly out to Redman in deep center field for out number one. Gurney was hit by a pitch to give Shallowater a base runner, but Carter hit a chopper to McNeese on the mound, who turned and threw to Mendez at second, who then fired to MacDonald at first for the double play to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the inning, Redman chopped out to Gurney at shortstop for out number one and Mendez popped up to Gurney at shortstop for out number two. Jayden Kirkland hit a shot to the left side that was stopped on a dive by Gurney, but the throw got by Carter at first base, allowing Jayden Kirkland to advance to third, as Blayton Soliz came on as the courtesy runner for the catcher.
Villanueva and McNeese drew back-to-back walks to load the bases for Littlefield, but MacDonald grounded out to Vincent at third base, who stepped on the bag to end the inning.
Both teams would go scoreless through the fifth inning, and in the top of the sixth, McNeese got Boschma to fly out to Jakob Kirkland in right field for out number one. Scott doubled over Villanueva in left field to give the Mustangs a base runner, and Gurney hit a sacrifice shot down the third-base line that was backhanded by Green and thrown to first for the out, as Scott advanced to third on the throw.
Carter ripped an RBI-double to left-center field to make the score, 2-0. He would take third on a pitch, before Ramos grounded out to Mendez at shortstop to end the inning.
The score would stand through the final inning and a half, as Littlefield dropped their senior day match-up to Shallowater, 2-0.
The Wildcats are set to clash with the Dalhart Wolves in the Class 3A-DI Bi-district round of the Baseball Play-offs with game one set for Friday at 5 p.m. and game two Saturday at 1 p.m. Game three if necessary will be 30 minutes after game two. All games will be played at Amarillo Caprock High School.