East Peoria 4-1-2011 Varsity

4-1-2011 vs. East Peoria Raiders

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	R	H	E
West Wildcats	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	1	0	3	7	14	1
E Peoria Raiders	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	4	10	1

 

Wildcats Regain momentum with win over Raiders

The Normal West Wildcats had the game in their grasp twice against the East Peoria Raiders, but it took a third attempt before they could secure the 7 – 4 victory firmly in a twelve inning marathon at windy Dave Rodgers Field in East Peoria.  After the Wildcat bats were very quiet for five innings, they came alive in the 6^th to produce a 3 -1 lead.  The Raiders, though, got a two run homer in the bottom of the 7^th to stay alive for the first time.  They rallied from two outs and no one on in the 10^th to tie it again, but the Wildcats took control with three runs in the 12^th to up their record to 5-3 on the season.

Adam Seifert looked like the hero in the 6^th when his double plated two to put the Wildcats up 3-1.  Ryan Speller took that role in the 10^th when his single put the Wildcats up 4-3, but he had to do it again in the 12^th when his double to left scored Wes Sery with the eventual winning run.

It was a topsy turvy game with the first five innings being played in under an hour and the last seven taking a lot longer than that.  Matthew James had the Raiders in control after a first inning double had staked them to a 1-0 lead.  He struck out nine and only allowed an infield single and the double in the first six innings, facing only one over the minimum.  The Wildcats had only three singles themselves when James hit a two out double down the right field line in the 6^th inning.  Erik Sipes stroked a single to right center to tie the game and then stole second base.  After a walk to Wes Sery, Adam Seifert doubled down the left field line to drive them both in. 

After the Raiders tied it in the 7^th, the 8^th and 9^th were scoreless.  Adam Seifert came on for the Wildcats with a runner on second in the 9^th and fought out of a jam with runners on second and third by striking one out and getting a grounder to end the threat.  In the 10^th, the Wildcats got their run when James led off with a walk, got sacrificed over, and scored on a Speller single.  The Wildcats couldn’t hold the lead, though, and the game went to the 12^th inning tied at 4. 

Wes Sery led off with a double to right center, was sacrifice to second and scored on a Speller double to the corner in left.  After Garrett Cook walked, Alex Jefferson brought them both in with a triple right center.  Jefferson led the Wildcats with three hits, while James and Speller had two each.  Jefferson, Seifert and Speller each had two RBIs for the Wildcats.

Seifert got the win for the Wildcats, going four innings in relief and allowing one run on three hits, two walks and three strikeouts.  James threw eight innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with no walks and nine strikeouts.  Adam McGinnis continued his strong play behind the plate, throwing out two attempt base stealers to make it 5 for 7 on the season.

The Wildcats return to action quickly with a split doublehead at home against Metamora and Ottawa on Saturday.