The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity baseball team made it back-to-back wins on Saturday, as they took game three of their 3A Bi-district Play-off series over Presidio, 11-6, to advance to the Class 3A Area round of the Play-offs.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 14-12-1 overall on the season.
Jordan Trevino struck out swinging to get game three underway for the Wildcats, and Major McNeese grounded out to third base for out number two. Jonavan Weaver ripped a stand-up triple into center field that was missed on a dive by Ontiveros. Nick Caballero was intentionally walked and Chip Green drew a walk to load the bases.
Ethan Garcia drew an RBI-walk to put the Wildcats up, 1-0, but Isaiah Rodriguez flew out to the shortstop in shallow left field to retire the side.
Alfonso Ramos doubled down on the right-field foul line to lead off for Presidio in the home-half of the first inning, but Jorge Sotello hit a shot to Ian Mendez at third, who got the out at first, as Ramos advanced to third on the play with one out. Sebastian Rios was struck out swinging by McNeese and Santiago Ornelas flew out to Green in right field to end the inning.
In the top of the second inning, Bowman singled on a throwing error to first by the shortstop, putting Bowman on second to lead things off. Mendez singled on a slow chopper to shortstop, putting runners on the corners for Littlefield, as the courtesy runner Sam Hill advanced to third on the play.
Trevino blasted an RBI-single through the right side, moving Mendez over to third with the score, 2-0. Trevino took second on a dropped ball by the Presidio catcher, before McNeese drove in two runs on a hit up the middle to extend their lead to, 4-0. Weaver singled to shallow left-center field, but Caballero flew out to left field for out number one. Green drew a walk to load the bases, and Garcia drew an RBI walk to push the lead to, 5-0.
Ramos was relieved by Martin Baeza as he got Rodriguez to strike out looking for out number two. Bowman came to the plate for his second at bat of the inning, but he would fly out to center field to retire the side, as the Wildcats left the bases loaded.
In the bottom half of the second, Jason Hernandez singled through the left side and he took second and third on back-to-back past balls, before Luis Aguilar struck out swinging for out number one. Hernandez stole home on McNeese, but Dominguez was tagged out at the plate on a dropped third strike by Bowman with the score, 5-1, with two outs. Baeza would be struck out looking to end the inning.
Mendez laid down a swinging bunt and reached base on an error by the catcher, before Trevino was hit by a pitch to put two runners on for the Wildcats. McNeese struck out looking for out number one, but Mendez and Trevino would steal on a pitch to Weaver, before Weaver hit a sacrifice grounder to second base and was thrown out at first, as Mendez scored and Trevino advanced to third, making the score, 6-1.
Trevino scored on a balk by Baeza to extend their lead to, 7-1, before Caballero was hit by a pitch to put a runner on for the Wildcats with two outs. Green drew a walk, as Baeza was relieved on the mound by Bryan Oranda, who gave up a walk to Garcia to load the bases for Littlefield. Rodriguez, though would pop up to second base, as they left the bases loaded again.
The Wildcats made quick work of the Blue Devils in the bottom of the third inning, as McNeese got Ontiveros to strike out looking and got Ramos to ground out to third on a diving stop by Mendez, before he was relieved by Garcia on the mound. Garcia got Sotello to ground out to Trevino at shortstop to end the inning.
Bowman struck out looking to begin the fourth inning, but Mendez had a fly ball fall in left field for a double to put a runner in scoring position for the Wildcats. Trevino struck out looking for out number two, but on a pitch to McNeese, Mendez stole third, getting under the tag at third base. McNeese hit an RBI-single past third base to push their lead to, 8-1. McNeese stole second on a pitch and took third uncontested two pitches later, but he would be left there as Weaver struck out swinging to retire the side.
Jonathan Rojana singled to short center field to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning for the Blue Devils and Ornelas drew a walk, before Hernandez hit a grounder to shortstop that was kept on the infield by Trevino, but he couldn’t make a play, as Presidio loaded the bases. Garcia got Aguilar to strike out swinging for out number one, but Dominguez followed it up with a two-RBI single up the middle, trimming the lead to, 8-3, with runners on the corners.
Hernandez scored on a past ball to make the score, 8-4, as Dominguez advanced to second on the play and Ramos kept the rally going with an RBI-single to left field to make the score, 8-5, as Garcia was relieved on the mound by Caballero, who recorded two outs to keep the Blue Devils at Bay to end the inning.
Caballero drew a lead-off walk for the Wildcats to begin the fifth inning, as Gabe Montalvo came on as the pinch runner. Green laid a bunt down the third-base line and reached base safely to put two runners on for Littlefield. Garcia flew out to center field for out number one, but Rodriguez drew a walk to load the bases.
Bowman hit into a fielder’s choice at third, as the Blue Devils came home for the force out for out number two leaving runners on second and third. Mendez hit an RBI-single into shallow right field to stretch the lead to, 9-5. Rodriguez scored on a past ball to make the score, 10-5, as the runners advanced to second and third on the play. Trevino followed it up with an RBI-single to center field to score Sam Hill. He took second on the throw home, with the score, 11-5. McNeese though would ground out to second to retire the side.
Caballero went back to work on the mound, as he got Hernandez to fly out to Green in right field for out number one. Aguilar singled on a high fly ball to shallow leftcenter field, that was lost in the sun, falling between three Wildcats. But, on the next play, Dominguez hit a shot down the third-base line that was gloved by Mendez and thrown to first for the out, Garcia then fired back to Mendez at third, who laid the tag on Aguilar for the douple play to end the inning.
Presidio would score one run in the bottom of the seventh, as the Wildats held off the Blue Devils, 11-6, to claim the Class 3A Bi-district championship.
The Wildcats will play Bushland in the 3A Area Round starting with game one on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Game two is at 4:30 p.m. on Friday with game three to follow if necessary.