Licking Baseball week in review
By Coach Harv Antle
LICKING 18, LAQUEY 3
LAQUEY — The Licking Wildcats invoked the run rule Monday night at Laquey with an 18-3 decision over the Hornets.
Licking used a 14-hit attack that included eight doubles to power the offense. Nine different Wildcats recorded at least one base hit.
Malachi Antle and Austin Stephens led the hit parade with three-hit performances. Cole Wallace was two-for-three while Rusty Buckner, Roston Stockard, Keyton Cook, Spencer Rogers, and Keyton Rinne all drove in two runs apiece.
Wallace picked up the win with two and and one-third innings in relief of opener Kaiden Wantland. Wallace allowed no runs on two hits and fanned three.
Wantland was touched for three runs, one earned, on five hits. The win moved the Wildcats’ record to 12-2 for the fall.
There was no JV game play at Laquey.
LICKING 19, CONWAY 0
LICKING — The Licking Wildcats came out swinging against Conway on Thursday at Deer Lick Park and posted a 19-0 victory.
The first nine hitters reached safely before an out was recorded in the bottom of the first for the Wildcats. When the inning was over, Licking held an 11-0 lead.
The Wildcats tacked on eight more in the second. Meanwhile, Licking starter Austin Stephens blanked the Bears on one hit, and the game ended on the run rule after three innings.
Silas Antle led the way for the Licking offense with a double, a triple, and three runs-batted-in. Malachi Antle and Rusty Buckner also produced two-hit, three RBI nights.
Keyton Rinne, Kaiden Wantland, and Stephens stroked RBI singles. Spencer Rogers doubled and scored twice while Keyton Cook singled and drove in two runs.
The win pushed Licking’s record to 13-2 for the fall.
In the JV game, Licking emerged with a 5-1 victory.
Roston Stockard and Cole McCloy teamed up on the mound to limit Conway to one run on two hits.
Offensively for the JV Cats, Garrett Gorman doubled and scored, Lake Wade cracked a two-run single, and Brently Morris collected an RBI single. The win moved the JV record to 5-2.
EUGENE 1, LICKING 0
LICKING – Despite allowing just one run on four hits Friday night, the Licking Wildcats lost to the Eugene Eagles 1-0.
Wildcats Rusty Buckner and Silas Antle turned in stellar performances on the mound to limit Eugene offensively but the Wildcats were unable to provide any run support for its pitchers. Buckner worked three scoreless innings and allowed one hit while fanning four, and Antle was charged with one run on three hits and suffered the loss.
Cole Wallace, Rusty Buckner, and Kannon Buckner each had one hit for Licking. The Wildcats failed to capitalize on four walks and stranded six runners in the game.
The loss lowered Licking’s fall record to 13-3.
The JV ‘Cats won a wild 12-10 game in the nightcap. Garrett Gorman was the winning pitcher and Kannon Buckner picked up the save.
Roston Stockard, Kannon Buckner, and Alex Buckner all had hits for the winners and Jordan Ritz scored twice.
With the win, the JV ‘Cats moved to 7-2 on the season.
Photos by Shari Harris
