Wildcat Baseball defeats Ava

By Coach Harv Antle

SPRINGFIELD – The Licking Wildcats returned to the field on Saturday after a 10-day layoff due to weather to meet the Ava Bears in Springfield at New Covenant High School and emerged with a 9-4 victory.

Licking pushed a run across in the top of the first inning and grabbed the early advantage. Ava answered with a run in the bottom of the first and added another in the third to take the lead.

At the end of five innings of play, the game was deadlocked at three runs each. Licking took command of the contest with a six-run sixth inning and won going away.

Silas Antle picked up the Licking victory on the mound. He was the pitcher of record when the Wildcats took the lead in the sixth.

Antle gave one run on two hits in his two innings of work. Austin Stephens opened on the mound for Licking with three innings of two-run ball on three hits, and Keyton Cook finished the game with three strikeouts over two innings while allowing a hit and a run.

Malachi Antle sparked the Licking offense with a 3-for-4 day at the plate that included two runs-batted-in. Rusty Buckner went 2-for-4, Kannon Buckner had a pair of hits, Cole Wallace scored twice and reached base three times, while Keyton Cook and Keyton Rinne knocked in runs with base hits.

Licking raised its spring record to 15-3 with the win.