The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity baseball team dropped game one of their three-game 3A Bi-district Play-off Series to Presidio on Friday, 7-1, in Pecos.
With the loss, the Wildcats fall to 12-12-1 overall on the season.
Both teams went scoreless through the first inning and a half, but in the bottom of the second inning, Jason Hernandez blasted a ground rule double to left field to lead things off for Presidio. Luis Aguilar laid down a bunt on the third base line and beat it out at first, putting runners on the corners for the Blue Devils. Hernandez stole home on a slow throw back to Ethan Garcia on the mound from Brenden Bowman, as Aguilar took third to put the Blue Devils up, 1-0, before Juan Dominguez struck out swinigng for out number one.
Moreno laid down a suicide bunt, as Aguilar broke for home on the pitch to score and make the score, 2-0. Isaiah Rodriguez was covering the bag at first, but had the ball knocked out of his glove to put a runner on first for Presidio. Garcia would bounce back, as he got Gabe Ontiveros to strike out swinging to end the inning.
The Wildcats went three up three down in the top half of the third and Presidio picked up where they left off in the home half of the inning, as Alfonso Ramos doubled down the left-field line to lead things off. Jorge Sotello laid a bunt down on the third-base line, as he reached base uncontested and Sebastian Rios followed it up with an RBI-single up the middle to make the score, 3-0.
The runners advanced on a past ball, before Santiago Ornelas singled through the left side to drive in another run, pushing their lead to, 4-0. Hernandez laid down a suicide bunt to score, Sotello, but Ian Mendez was able to get the out at first for out number one. Aguilar was called out at the plate for batter interference for out number two, as Ornelas took third on the play. Dominguez hit a chopper to Garcia on the mound, but he made a bad throw to first, as another run came into score, pushing their lead to, 6-0. Garcia would recover, as he got Moreno to chop out to him on the mound to end the inning.
In the top of the fourth, McNeese singled on an error by Sotello at third base, but Weaver grounded into a double play to Ramos at shortstop to give them two outs. Nick Caballero doubled to the left-field fence and Chip Green drew a walk, but Garcia struck out looking to retire the side.
Presidio would add one more run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI-single to left field by Sotello to make the score, 7-0, and Littlefield’s lone run of the day would come in the top of the seventh, as Garcia drew a lead-off walk and made his way to third with two outs, before Rodriguez singled on error by Hernandez at shortstop to drive in the run and make the score, 7-1, as the Wildcats dropped game one of the play-off series to the Blue Devils.
Garcia pitched three innings for the Wildcats, earning four strikeouts, while giving up six runs. Caballero came on in relief duty, pitching three innings, giving up one run and one walk, while earning two strikeouts.