Licking Wildcats Baseball
Photo by Shari Harris
Keyton Rinne gets the ball to first to turn a double play in the Monday night game versus Mansfield. Also pictured is Cole Wallace.
By Coach Harv Antle
Mansfield
The Licking Wildcats returned to Deer Lick Park on Monday night, April 19, and dropped a 4-2 decision to the Mansfield Lions.
Mansfield plated three runs in the first two innings on two hits and some shaky Wildcat defense. The Wildcats pulled within a run in the third.
Cole Wallace walked and later scored on a Malachi Antle sacrifice fly, and Easton Ice singled home Keyton Rinne who also walked.
That was it for Licking’s offense though, as Mansfield posted shutout innings the rest of the way. The Lions added an insurance run in the top of the seventh for the final margin of victory.
Landon Medlock started and took the loss for Licking. He took the loss in one-plus innings of work before leaving with an injury.
Keyton Cook relieved and pitched into the seventh. He gave one run on three hits and struck out four.
Austin Stephens pitched the seventh and fanned two. The loss dropped Licking to 7-5 on the spring.
The JV game ended in a 1-1 tie. Licking held a 1-0 lead through four and one-half innings, but Mansfield was able to tie the game in the top of the fifth.
Licking couldn’t answer in the home half of the last inning. Rusty Buckner and Alex Buckner teamed up on the mound for Licking to limit the Lions to just one run over five innings, while Logan Gorman’s 2-for-2 night at the plate led the offense.
Laquey
The Licking Wildcats run-ruled the Laquey Hornets 18-2 on Friday night, April 23, to improve to 8-5 on the spring.
Austin Stephens worked the first four innings for Licking and picked up his second win of the season. The sophomore allowed one run on four hits, struck out five, and did not walk a batter.
Cole Wallace finished up on the mound and gave a run on two hits. Wallace’s bat paced the offense with a 4-for-5 performance that included four runs scored and two runs-batted-in.
In the game, Licking pounded out 20 hits and took advantage of six Laquey errors. Keyton Rinne was 2-for-3 with a double, Malachi Antle collected three hits and drove in three runs, Easton Ice doubled twice as part of a three-hit night, Rusty Buckner was 2-for-3 and Nathan Burton swatted a 3-run home run.
No JV game was played at Laquey.
