The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity baseball team saw their season come to a close Friday night in Plainview, as they fell in game two of their three-game Area Play-off series to the Bushland Falcons, 5-1.
With the loss, the Wildcats close out the regular season with a record of 14-14-1 overall.
In the top of the first, freshman pitcher, Major McNeese, got Kade Gavina to pop up to Jaron Cabello in center field for out number one, before giving up a walk to Straton Malloy. Josh Bass hit an RBI-triple to the left-center field fence to make the score, 1-0. McNeese got Cannon Melban to strike out looking for out number two and got Westin Forbes to fly out to Chip Green in right field to retire the side.
In the home-half of the first, Jordan Trevino grounded out to Bass at shortstop for out number one, but McNeese singled through the right side to give the Wildcats a base runner. McNeese’s time on the bases would be short-lived, as he was picked off at first by Melban for out number two and Jonavan Weaver popped out to
Bass at shortstop to end the inning.
Both teams went scoreless through the second inning, but in the top of the third inning, Gavina singled up the middle to lead things off for the Falcons and he took second on a past ball, before Malloy knocked an RBI-double into left field to make the score, 2-0. Bass followed it up with an RBI double to left-center field to extend the lead to, 3-0.
Melban drew a walk, bringing Tanner Adams on as the courtesy runner for the pitcher, but Forbes hit a sacrifice fly ball to Cabello in center field that allowed Bass to tag-up and take third on the play with one out. Adams took second on a pitch, before Jaco chopped out to Mendez at third for out number two. Bass scored on the play and Adams took third on the play, making the score, 4-0.
Adams scored on a wild pitch to stretch the lead to, 5-0, before McNeese got Fetch Jaxon to strike out looking to retire the side.
Both teams went scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Wildcats came to the plate, looking to get something started offensively.
Bowman hit a chop up the middle that Bass couldn’t get to, bringing Hill on as the courtesy runner for the catcher to start the bottom of the sixth inning. Garcia struck out swinging for out number one, but Trevino laid down a bunt on the third-base line and reached base safely, putting runners on first and second with one out.
McNeese hit into a fielder’s choice to Bass at shortstop, who got the out at second, but a bad throw to first allowed Hill to score, making the score, 5-1, with two outs. Weaver singled on a throwing error from third to first, but McNeese was thrown out at the plate trying to make something happen on the error.
Bushland kept the Wildcats off of the board in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Littlefield fell to the Falcons, 5-1, in the Class 3A Area Play-off series.
McNeese pitched five innings for the Wildcats giving up five runs and four walks while earning four strikeouts. Caballero pitched two innings giving up one walk in the contest.