First the good news. The Wildcats’ baseball team opened district play with a win on the road at Pine Tree Tuesday night. However the game may have set a new standard for winning ugly.
The Wildcats won 13-8. They hit the ball well rapping out 12 hits. Pine Tree pitchers issued 8 walks, hit two batters and committed 6 errors. Wildcats pitchers issued 10 walks and they made 4 errors. 337 pitches were made in the 3 hour and 2 minute seven inning game. Each team was guilty of catcher’s interference. The Wildcats had 1 passed ball and 3 wild pitches. Pine Tree had one pass ball and 4 wild pitches. The game was tied at 1 after one. Kaden Argenbright singled and scored on a catcher’s error. The Wildcats scored the next 5 runs to lead 6-1. In the second Michael Arnold walked with one out. Kyle Dodd got on on catcher’s interference. Jamal Hobson-Cox scored on a fielder’s choice, an error, a stolen base and a wild pitch. Mason Buck walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on an Argenbright single. Heston Golightly had a single and Triston McCormick had an RBI single. In the third, Easton Silman was hit by a pitch, advannced on a wild pitch and a single by Arnold and scored on a squeeze bunt hit by Dodd.
Pine Tree reduced the lead with 3 runs aided by a walk, an error, a pass ball another walk and catcher’s interference. The Wildcats led 6-4 after 3 innings. The Wildcats plated two more runs in the fourth. Buck was hit by a pitch, stole a base and advanced on an error. Golightly got on on an error which scored Buck. McCormick’s double plated Golightly. The Wildcats led 8-4 after 4 innings. The Wildcats added a ninth run in the fifth. Buck doubled and scored on an Argenbright single and a Pirate error. The Wildcats led 9-4 after the top of the fifth. Pine Tree scored one run in the fifth and 3 in the sixth to trim the Wildcats lead to 9-8 after six. The Pirates three runs in the six were done without a hit. The Wildcats walked five straight batters and threw 2 wild pitches. The Wildcats scored 4 insurance runs in the top of the seventh. They benefited from three straight walks and two wild pitches. McCormick drove home two with a single and Silman had an RBI single. Pine Tree went down somewhat quietly in the seventh going three up and three down after an inning starting walk.
Ryan Humphries got the pitching win going four and two third’s innings allowing 5 runs but only 2 earned on four hits. He struck out two and walked 4. The Pirates only had 4 hits. Buck scored 4 runs. Argenbright was 3 for 4 with 2 runs and an RBI. Golightly was 1 for 4 with 2 runs and an RBI. McCormick was 4 for 5 with a run and 4 RBI’s.
The Wildcats are 1-0 in district play and 7-5-1 for the season. They play Marshall at home Friday night.
