The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity baseball teams season came to an end Friday afternoon, as they fell in game two of their 3A Area Round Play-off Baseball Series to the Idalou Wildcats, 12-7, at Lubbock- Cooper High School.
The Wildcats end their season with a mark of 14-12 overall.
Major McNeese went to work on the mound in the top of the first inning for Littlefield, as he got Jeter Garcia and Jack Henley, both to fly out to Markus Rosales in right field for two quick outs. Eric Garcia drew a walk for Idalou and Cooper Ross singled to center field, bringing Malakhi Brisco on as the courtesy runner for the pitcher. But, Derek Cantu would fly out to Rosales in right field to retire the side.
In the home half of the first, Ian Mendez drew a lead-off walk and Isaiah Rodriguez followed it up with an RBI-triple into the leftcenter field gap to put Littlefield in front, 1-0. McNeese ripped an RBI-single through the right side to make the score, 2-0. Brenden Bowman hit a chopper up the middle that was fielded by Cantu at second base, who tried to go to second on the fielder’s choice, but the toss was missed by the shortstop, allowing McNeese to take third, putting runners on the corners for Littlefield.
Chip Green was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Rosales struck out looking for out number one. Elijah Salazar drew an RBIwalk to push the lea to, 3-0, and Adam MacDonald followed it up with a sacrifice fly to center field that allowed Gabe Villanueva to tag-up and score from third to stretch their lead to, 4-0. Ja’Den Williams grounded out to Cantu at second base to end the inning.
Idalou’s offense struck back in the top of the second, as Tate Hendley opened the inning with a single to right-center field. Colton Hurst singled up the middle, moving Hendley over to third and Ethan Owens followed it up with an RBI-ground rule double to right field to make the score, 4-1. Kash Koontz struck out looking for out number one.
Jeter Garcia was hit by a pitch, but Henley popped up to Rodriguez in shallow right field for out number two and Eric Garcia was thrown out at first by Bowman on a dropped third strike to retire the side.
Littlefield’s offense stalled in the bottom half of the second and in the top of the third inning, Ross led things off with a ground-rule double to center field, bringing Brisco on as the courtesy runner for the pitcher. Cantu knocked an RBI- triple to right field that bounced over Rosales, making the score, 4-2.
Hendley laid a bunt down the first-base line putting runners on the corners for Idalou and Hurst hit a sacrifice fly to Gabe Montalvo in right-center field, as Cantu tagged and scored from third and Hendley tagged and advanced to third on the play with the score cut to, 4-3. Owens laid a bunt down on the first-base side, that was fielded by MacDonald, but the runner was safe at first as a run scored to tie the game, 4-4.
Koontz singled to center field and Jeter Garcia followed it up with a two-RBI triple into the rightcenter field gap to put Idalou in front, 6-4. Henley kept the rally going with an RBI-double into leftcenter field to extend the Idalou lead to, 7-4. Eric Garcia flew out to Elijah Salazar in left field for out number two, but Ross hit a grounder to first that was stopped by MacDonald at first on the dive, but he didn’t have the ball in his glove when we went to tag first putting runners on the corners for Idalou. Cantu would fly out to Rosales in right field to end the inning.
In the bottom of the third inning, Bowman lined out to shortstop on a sliding stop by Henley for out number one, but Green was hit by a pitch to give Littlefield a base runner. Green took second on a pitch, before Rosales hit a sacrifice fly to Eric Garcia in right field, allowing Rosales to tag-up and take third with two outs. Green scored on a past ball, before Salazar drew a walk to put another run on for Littlefield. MacDonald, though, hit a one-hopper to third and was thrown out at first to end the inning.
Littlefield kept Idalou quiet through the fourth and fifth innings, and in the home-half of the fifth, Bowman drew a lead-off walk, bringing Villanueva on as the courtesy runner for the catcher. Green laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Villanueva to second with one out. Rosales drew a walk and Salazar was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and MacDonald hit a sacrifice fly to left-center field for out number two, allowing Villanueva to tag up and score from third to cut the lead to, 7-6. Williams struck out looking to end the inning.
In the top of the sixth, Ross singled to left-center field and Cantu singled past a diving attempt by Green at third base, before Hendley laid a bunt down the third-base line to load the bases. Hurst hit a sacrifice fly to Rosales in right field, allowing a run to score from third, making the score, 8-6, with one out.
Rodriguez relieved McNeese on the mound for Littlefield and Owens laid down a bunt, scoring a run on a miscue by Bowman, pushing their lead to, 9-6. Owens took second on a pitch, before Koontz laid down a sacrifice bunt to MacDonald at first base, who got the out at first as a run scored and a runner advanced to third with two outs, extending the lead to, 10-6.
Jeter Garcia drew a walk to put runners on the corners, before Henley flew out to McNeese in left-center field to retire the side.
Brisco relieved Ross on the mound in the bottom of the sixth for Idalou, as Mendez drew a walk and Rodriguez followed it up with a single to center field. McNeese popped up to third in foul-territory for out number one, but Bowman drew a walk to load the bases, bringing Villanueva on as the courtesy runner.
Green drew an RBI walk to cut the lead to, 10-7, before Rosales popped up to shortstop for out number two and Salazar struck out looking to end the inning.
Idalou added two runs in the top of the seventh, and in the bottom half of the inning, the Wildcats were unable to plate any runs, as Littlefield’s season came to a close.