The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity baseball team beat the rain in game two of their Bi-district play-off series with Kermit on Friday in Seminole to take the first-round playoff match-up, 2-0.
The Wildcats downed the Yellowjackets, 17-12, to claim the Class 3A Bi-district trophy.
Littlefield’s Ethan Garcia got Kermit to go three-up-and-threedown in the top of the first inning, as Jay Lara hit a chopper to Jordan Trevino at shortstop, who threw to first for the out. Auden Gonzalez hit a shot to the left side that was snagged up by third baseman Ethan Hackler on a sliding catch, as he spun around and threw to first for out number two. Ethan Garcia got Joel Garcia to strike out swinging to retire the side.
Trevino led-off off the bottom half of the side, with a chopper to Joel Garcia on the mound, who made a bad throw to first, as Trevino collided with the first baseman for a single on an error. Blake Green singled up the middle, moving Trevino over to third on the play, but Hackler struck out looking for out number one.
Chris Brown hit a two-RBI single up the middle to put the Wildcats up, 2-0 and Gus McNabb singled off of the second base umpire, as Joseph Salinas came on as the courtesy runner. Jonovan Weaver hit into a fielder’s choice to shortstop, who got the out at second, as Brown advanced to third on the play with two outs.
Ethan Garcia hit an RBI-single through the right side to extend their lead to, 3-0, before Turner Heffington flew out to center field to end the inning.
Ethan Garcia made quick work of the Yellowjackets in the top of the second inning, as he got Ramon Davila to fly out to Heffington in left field and Ethan Gomez to strike out lookingf for two quick outs. Jaden Bejarano hit a shot up the middle that was fielded by Trevino, who fired to first for the out to retire the side.
The Wildcat’s bats fell silent in the bottom half of the inning, as they went three-up-and-threedown, keeping the score, 3-0, heading into the third inning.
Yosmar Asevedo drew a leadoff walk for Kermit, but Josh Nunez hit a grounder to Hackler at third base, who went to second on the fielder’s choice; however, the throw to first by Trevino sailed into the dugout, putting Nunez on second with one out.
Ethan Garcia got Mikial Burrola to strike out swinging for out number two, but Nunez advanced to third on a past ball, as Lara walked to put runners on the corners for Kermit. Gonzalez knocked an RBIsingle to right field, moving Lara over to third, as they cut the lead to, 3-1. The Wildcats would get out of the inning, though, as Joel Garcia flew out to Caden Longoria in right field to retire the side.
In the home half of the third inning, Hackler grounded out to Gonzalez at shortstop for out number one, but Brown doubled down the third-base line and took third on a bad pick-off move to second by Joel Garcia. McNabb singled up the middle for an RBI to make the score, 4-1, as Salinas came on as the courtesy runner for the catcher.
Weaver singled past Burrola at third and Ethan Garcia drew a walk to load the bases. Heffington struck out looking for out number two and Jeremiah Salazar hit a chopper to Asevedo at first, who flipped it to Joel Garcia covering the bag for the final out to end the inning. Davila got things started for
Davila got things started for
Kermit in the fourth inning with a lead-off double to right-center field, as Iasidorl Gardea came on as the courtesy runner for the catcher. Gardea took third on a past ball, before Gomez struck out swinging for out number one. Bejarano hit a sacrifice chopper to second base that was charged up by Salazar, who threw to first for the out, as Kermit cut the lead in half, 4-2.
Asevedo was hit by a pitch, but Nunez hit a chopper to Hackler at third, who threw across the diamond first for the out to retire the side.
Trevino got the Wildcats on the base paths with a lead-off single up the middle, but Green put a ball in play off the knob of his bat that rolled to first, as Kermit tagged the base and threw to second base, where Trevino was tagged out for the double play. Hackler hit a grounder to Gonzalez at shortstop, but a throwing error to first put Hackler on second with two outs.
Brown singled on an error by Burrola at third base, as Hackler advanced to third on the play to put runners on the corners for Littlefield. McNabb hit a grounder to Burrola at third base, who made a low throw to first that was dropped by Asevedo, moving Brown to third as Salinas came on as the courtesy runner with the score, 5-2.
Weaver sent a three-run bomb over the left-center field fence to clear the bases, pushing their lead out to, 8-2, and Ethan Garcia followed it up with a ground-rule double to right field. Heffington singled on an error by Burrola at third, putting runners on the corners for the Wildcats. Heffington took second on a pitch, before Salazar roped a two-RBI double to right field to extend the lead to, 10-2.
Eliseo Bonilla relieved Joel Garcia on the mound, and Trevino greeted him with an RBI-triple to right-center field to stretch their lead to, 11-2. Green would fly out to center field to end the rally.
Kermit found their offense in the top of the fifth, as Bonilla singled down the first-base line and Lara was hit by a pitch, before Gonzalez hit a three-run homerun to left field to cut the lead to, 11-5. Joel Garcia struck out swinging for out number one, but Davila drew a walk and Gomez was hit by a pitch, as Trevino relieved Garcia on the mound for Littlefield.
Bejarano hit an RBI-single to left-center field to cut the lead to, 11-6, and Asevedo was hit by a pitch to load the bases, before Nunez hit a sacrifice Grounder to Cash Price at second, who flipped it to first for the second out of the inning, as the score was trimmed to, 11-7. Bonilla lined out to Alex Carillo at first base to end the rally for Kermit.
In the home half of the fifth, Hackler doubled to left field to lead things off, and Brown hit a sacrifice fly to left-center field to moved Hackler over to third base with one out. McNabb swung and missed on strike three, but the ball got by the catcher, as he reached base safely and Hackler scored to extend their lead back out to, 12-7.
Weaver was hit by a pitch, but Ethan Garcia struck out swinging for out number two. Heffington, though, picked him up with a three-run inside the park homerun that got by Lara in center field, pushing their lead out to, 15-7. Price would strike out swinging to end the inning for the Wildcats.
Lara tripled to right-center field to lead off the top of the sixth for Kermit, but Gonzalez lined out to Heffington in left field for out number one. Joel Garcia drew a walk and Davila was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Gomez drew an RBI-walk to trim the lead to, 15-8, as Trevino was relieved on the mound by Brown.
Brown got the next batter to strike out swinging for out number two, bu Asevedo hit an RBIsingle through the right side to cut the lead to, 15-9. A run scored on a past ball to make the score, 15-10, and Nunez hit a shot to Trevino at shortstop, who made a throwing error to first, allowing two runs to score to make the score, 15-12. Brown would get Bonilla to strike out swinging to end the rally for Kermit.
In the bottom half of the inning, Trevino grounded out to second base, but Green, Hackler and Brown drew walks to load the bases, before McNabb hit a sacrifice fly ball to left field, allowing Green to score to make the score, 16-12. Weaver hit an RBI single to center field to push their lead to, 17-12, but Ethan Garcia popped up to Nunez at second base to end the inning.
Brown would retire three straight Kermit hitters in the top of the seventh to close out the game for the Wildcats, 17-12.
Garcia pitched 4.1 innings for the Wildcats, giving up six walks and five runs, while earning five strikeouts. Trevino pitched one inning of relief duty, giving up four walks and three runs and Brown came on to close things out, pitching 1.2 innings. He earned two strikeouts, while giving up four runs.
The Wildcats will play Abernathy on Friday at Lubbock-Cooper High School in a one-game play-off series for the Class 3A Area Championship.
First-pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.