Wildcats Baseball

By Coach Harv Antle

Cuba

In a matchup of Wildcats on Friday night, April 9, at Deer Lick Park, Cuba edged Licking 4-3.

The loss was the second straight for Licking following a six-game winning streak. Licking jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first, but couldn’t sustain the offense and was caught from behind by Cuba and eventually overtaken.

In the first, Cole Wallace doubled to lead off the game for Licking. Wallace moved up on a wild pitch and then scored on an Easton Ice groundout.

Silas Antle’s RBI single plated Malachi Antle for Licking’s second run and then he rode home on Rusty Buckner’s double to give Licking the early three-run lead. The score remained the same until the top of the fifth.

Cuba rallied for three runs to tie the game. The big blow was a two-run home run from Austin Stokes.

Stokes dialed long distance again in the top of the seventh. This time it was a solo shot to give Cuba the lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Licking mounted its own rally. Keyton Rinne doubled with one out.

Wallace walked later in the inning, but a strikeout short-circuited the comeback and ended the game. The loss left Licking at 6-3 for the spring.

Mountain Grove

The Licking Wildcats were plagued by runners left on base Tuesday night, April 13, and lost to Mountain Grove 13-5.

In the game, the Wildcats stranded 15 runners and lost their third straight contest. Licking’s record fell to 6-4.

Mountain Grove chased Licking starter Keyton Cook after the first inning, when he surrendered five runs.

Trailing 6-0 in the fourth, the Wildcats answered with one run but left the bases loaded. In the game, Licking loaded the bases in three different innings but could not get the key hit.

Cole Wallace went 2-for-3 for Licking. Malachi Antle was 2-for-4 with two RBIs while Cook and Keyton Rinne each scored twice.

In the JV game, Licking rallied following an early deficit but came up short and lost 11-9.

Garrett Gorman started and took the loss for Licking. The loss dropped the JV record to 3-2.

Offensively for Licking, Rusty Buckner was 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Silas Antle drove in two runs and doubled, Elijah Ullom swatted a double and drove in two runs and Austin Stephens drove in three runs.

Dora

The Licking Wildcats snapped their three-game losing streak on Thursday, April 15, at Dora with a 14-6 win over the Falcons.

Silas Antle picked up the win on the mound for Licking. In four and one-third innings, the freshman allowed two runs on two hits and four walks while fanning six.

Elijah Ullom got the last two outs of the fifth and Cole Wallace pitched the sixth and the seventh. Both were charged with two runs, though Wallace’s were not earned.

At the plate, Licking broke out of their recent offensive struggles with 14 runs on 17 hits. Rusty Buckner led the hit parade with a 4-for-4 day with two runs batted-in.

Wallace also had a big day with three hits in five trips that included three runs scored. Easton Ice went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three runs-batted-in, Malachi Antle knocked in a pair of runs on two hits, and Spencer Rogers had two RBIs.

Licking increased its spring record to 7-4 with the victory. No JV game was played at Dora.