The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity baseball team dropped their tournamentopener against Post on Thursday, 6-3, in the Lamb County Classic.
Gabe Mata pitched 6.1 innings for the Wildcats, giving up five hits and six runs, one earned, while striking out six batters. Ana Ayala pitched 0.2 innings, giving up two hits in the contest.
In the top of the first inning, Jax Perez hit a slow roller in front of the mound that was picked up by Mata and thrown to first for out number one. Cam Menchaca popped up to Dawson Adkins in shallow right field for out number two and Daniel Carroll struck out swinging to retire the side for the Antelopes.
The Wildcats struggled offensively to begin the game, as Mata and Blayton Soliz both popped up to Daniel Young at second base for the first two outs of the inning. Adkins was thrown out at first by Rooster Rodriguez on a dropped third strike to end the inning.
In the top of the second, Young chopped out to CJ Weaver at first base for out number one and Rodriguez grounded out to Soliz at third base for out number two. Mata got Sabby Martinez to fly out to Ayala in center field to retire the side.
Jayden Kirkland popped to Young at second base for the first out to begin the bottom half of the second inning, but Cayson Villarreal singled through the left side to give the Wildcats a base runner. But, Villarreal would get caught in a rundown and was tagged out at first base for out number two.
Weaver reached base on a dropped third strike that got by Rodriguez behind the plate and Ayala singled over Perez at shortstop to put runners on first and second for Littlefield. A balk by Menchaca put the runners on second and third, but Craig Jennings was thrown out at first on a dropped third strike to end the inning.
Isaiah Moreno led off the top of the third inning for the Antelopes with a triple past Jennings in right field, but Colton Hawkins flew out to Villareal in shallow left field for out number one. Edgar Saucedo singled on an error by Kyzer Billingsley at shortstop, as the run scored to put Post in front, 1-0.
Perez lined out to Jennings in right field, who threw to first for the double play to get the Wildcats out of the inning.
Billingsley got the Wildcats going with a single through the right side to begin the bottom of the third inning and Mata laid down a sacrifice bunt that was fielded by Carroll on the first-base side, who got the out at first, as Billingsley advanced to second with one out. Soliz grounded out to Perez at shortstop, as Billingsley advanced to third on the play.
Adkins ripped an RBIdouble down the left-field line to tie the game, 1-1, but Kirkland grounded out to Martinez at third base to end the inning.
In the top of the fourth inning, Mata got Menchaca to fly out to Ayala in shallow center field for the first out of the inning, but Carroll singled on an error by Soliz at third base and Young ripped a ground rule double to right field, putting runners on second and third for Post with one out.
Rodriguez reached base on a dropped third strike, as the ball got by Kirkland at the plate allowing a run to score, pushing the Post lead to, 2-1, with runners on the corners. Mata used a double pick- off move to get Rodriguez in a run down between first and second, but he reached second safely and a bad throw home allowed a run to score and Rodriguez to take third, making the score, 3-1.
Martinez followed it up with an RBI-double down the left-field line stretching the Post lead to, 4-1, before Moreno struck out looking for out number two. Hawkins grounded out to Soliz at third base to retire the side.
Villareal popped up to Carroll at first base for out number one in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Weaver singled through the left side to give the Wildcats a base runner. A balk put Weaver on second base and he stole third on a bad pickoff to second by Menchaca. Ayala hit a sacrifice grounder to Martinez at third, who got the out at first, as Weaver scored, trimming the lead to, 4-2.
Jennings grounded out to Young at second base to end the inning.
The Wildcats defense kept the Antelopes scoreless in the top of the fifth inning, and in the bottom half of the inning, Billingsley was hit by a pitch to lead things off for Littlefield. Mata hit a sacrifice chopper to Martinez at third base, who got the out at first, as Billingsley advanced to second on the play.
Soliz had a fly ball fall inside the left-field line to put runners on the corners for the Wildcats and Soliz took second on a pitch, before Adkins hit a sacrifice fly to left field, that allowed Billingsley to tag up and score from third to make the score, 4-3. Soliz took second on the throw home that got past the catcher. Kirkland, though, would strike out swinging to end the inning.
The score would remain, 4-3, until the top of the seventh inning, when Post was able to plate two more runs, stretching their lead to, 6-3, going into the final half inning.
In the bottom of the inning, Brayden Black was hit by a pitch to give the Wildcats a base runner, as Jennings re- entered the game to run. Billingsley hit a shot up the middle that was fielded by Young, who got the out at second base, but a bad throw to first put Billingsley on second with one out.
Mata lined out to Hawkins in center field for out number two and Soliz struck out swinging to end the game, as Littlefield fell to Post, 6-3.