Mattoon 5-7-2011 Varsity

5-7-2011 vs. Mattoon Green Wave

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Mattoon Green Wave	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	3	3	5
NCWHS Wildcats	1	0	0	0	1	3	X	5	6	3

 

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Mattoon Green Wave	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	3	4
NCWHS Wildcats	0	0	0	0	0	6	X	6	8	1

 

Seniors Lead Wildcats Past the Green Wave

The Normal West Wildcats celebrated Senior Day with a key Big 12 Conference matchup against the Mattoon Green Wave.  Mattoon entered the opener (which is the only game that counts in the standings) with a 6-0 record, one game ahead of the Wildcats.  All five seniors – Kyle Vaughn, Adam Seifert, Nolan Caldwell, Erik Sipes and Trey Rogers – came up big in the doubleheader sweep that puts the Wildcats back in first place in the conference.  The Wildcats won 5-3 and 6-2 in two very close, well-pitched games to improve their overall record to 21-5 and conference record to 6-1.

In game one, the Wildcats broke out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 1^st as Alex Jefferson walked, got moved up on Kyle Vaughn’s sacrifice bunt and scored later on an infield double play.  The Green Wave struck back with three in the top of the 4^th off Wildcat starter Alex Jefferson.  Three infield errors looked to make a big inning for the Green Wave, but Adam Seifert came on in relief to induce a double play and eventually get out of the inning. 

The Wildcats cut the lead to 3-2 in the 5^th when Jefferson got aboard on a Mattoon error, stole second and scored on an Adam McGinnis single over the second baseman.  The Wildcats took the lead in the 6^th when Rogers led off with a single to left.  Adam Seifert pushed his bunt past the pitcher to put two runners on.  With two strikes, Erik Sipes laid down a perfect bunt tight to the third base line and the Mattoon pitcher threw it past the first baseman, allowing both runners to score and Sipes to make it all the way to third.  Garrett Cook then squeezed Sipes home to give the Wildcats an insurance run.  Perfectly executed small ball on day when the wind was blowing extremely hard, straight at the batter.

Adam Seifert locked down the Green Wave over the final three innings to get the win, not allowing a base runner.  Jefferson went three innings, giving up three runs on two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.  Seifert pitched four innings, allowing no runs on one hit and striking out three.

The second game was a scoreless pitcher’s duel for five and a half innings.  Adam McGinnis started for the Wildcats and only allowed one hit and three walks over his four innings pitched.  Mac Byrd came on in the 5^th and set down all six batters he faced, striking out four.

The Wildcats only had three hits through five innings as well against Green Wave hurler Connor Daley.  In the 6^th, though, the Wildcats put together the big inning, again aided by a bad throw on a bunt.  Kyle Vaughn led off with a walk before Adam McGinnis singled to left.  Wes Sery then put down a perfect bunt the third baseman should have eaten, but instead he threw it past the first baseman.  Two runs scored and Sery stood at third at the end of the play.  Adam Seifert’s squeeze bunt scored Sery and was good enough for a hit before Erik Sipes got hit to put two runners on.  Nolan Caldwell stroked his second hit of the game to score Seifert.  Jake McDowell moved the runners up before Alex Jefferson singled down the line to score Seifert and Caldwell.

Mac Byrd got the win in relief for the Wildcats.  McGinnis pitched the first four with a hit, three walks and four strikeouts.  Byrd pitched the next two with four strikeouts and Dustin Detweiler pitched the last inning, giving up a pair of runs on two hits, three walks and two strikeouts.

Adam Seifert had two hits in the first game, while Nolan Caldwell had two in the second game and Alex Jefferson had two RBIs in game two.

The Wildcats return to action on Tuesday when the Decatur MacArther Generals visit West Varsity Field for a Big 12 Conference matchup at 4:30.