Category: 2011 Varsity News

3-29-2011 vs. Pekin Dragons

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Pekin Dragons	1	0	2	3	0	0	0	6	6	0
NCWHS Wildcats	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	2	3	6

 

Wildcats Fall to the Dragons

The Normal West Wildcats lost to the Pekin Dragons at chilly West Varsity Field 6-2 in a game the Wildcats would like to soon forget.  Sloppy fielding got the Wildcats down early and the offense couldn’t solve hard throwing southpaw Beau Barnes.  The Wildcats fall to 4-2 with the loss.

Kyle Vaughn was the hard luck loser for the Wildcats as unearned runs put them behind and they couldn’t get timely hits to drive in runners.  Vaughn tossed four innings, allowing six runs with four earned on six hits and two walks, three hit batters and four strikeouts.  Mac Byrd came on in the 5^th and got three outs after a walk.  Matthew James finished up by striking out the first five hitters he faced and getting the sixth on a grounder.

 The Wildcat offense was pretty quiet.  It did draw seven walks and get hit once, but the only runs came on a Matthew James double to right, a strike out that got past the catcher to put runners at the corners and a Kyle Vaughn double over the center fielder to drive them in.  Alex Jefferson doubled for the Wildcats third hit.  Vaughn was on base three times with two walks to go along with his hit and Adam Seifert drew three walks.

The Wildcats get back in action quickly with a home game against the Springfield Sacred Heart Griffin Cyclones at 4:30 on Thursday.

3-28-2011 vs. Bartonville Limestone Rockets

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Limestone Rockets	1	1	0	1	2	0	0	5	6	5
NCWHS Wildcats	5	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	7	4

Wildcats Escape the Rockets

After jumping out to a 5-1 lead after one inning the Normal West Wildcats had to scratch out heart-stopping 6-5 win on the last play of the game.  Adam McGinnis’ double in the bottom of the 7^th with the score tied was following by a Matthew James walk with no outs.  Wes Sery had hit three ropes already in the game and looked to bring home the winner, but his line smash right at the first basemen almost lead to a triple play.  The fielder stepped on first and threw to second to nail McGinnis, but his throw was off the mark into left field.  When the left fielder tried to get the runner at third, his throw got past the fielder and McGinnis raced home for the victory.  The Wildcats up their record to 4-1 on the season.

The Wildcats started very slow with three errors in the top of the 1^st and luckily only gave up one run.  Alex Jefferson made a big play when, backing up an errant throw in center field, he cut down one runner at third.  In the bottom of the inning, Adam Seifert got aboard on an infield error and moved up on a balk.  Adam McGinnis promptly brought him in with a single up the middle.  Matthew James then tripled to center driving in a run and scored on a Wes Sery double down the right field line.  Erik Sipes walked and stole second before Kyle Vaughn drove them both in with a single to center. 

The Wildcat bats went quiet after that, only getting two singles over the next five innings to set up the game-ending dramatics. 

Dustin Detweiler got the win on the mound in relief of Adam Seifert.   Seifert started and lasted 4 2/3 innings giving up five runs with three earned on six hits, a walk and three strikeouts.   Detweiler came on with two outs in the 5^th and a man at first and set down all seven hitters he faced, including an excellent diving catch in right field by Alex Jefferson.

The Wildcats were led with two hits by McGinnis and Sery and two runs batted in from Kyle Vaughn.

The Wildcats return to action tomorrow at home against the Pekin Dragons at 4:15.

03-23-2011 vs. Rock Island Rocks

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Rock Island	0	0	0	0	0	X	X	0	1	4
NCWHS Wildcats	2	2	4	2	X	X	X	10	12	1

 

Wildcats Tumble the Rocks

The Normal West Wildcats jumped on the Rock Island Rocks early and cruised to a 10-0 behind big bats and the pitching of Matthew James at West Varsity Field today.  The Wildcats upped their record to 3-1.

The Rocks could not touch James over five innings, getting only a first inning single, while fanning nine times.  James only faced two batters over the minimum as a hitter in the 4^th inning reached on an outfield error, but was promptly picked off first, and one batter got hit by a pitch in the 5^th inning.

 

West offense was powered by two-run homers from Alex Jefferson and Garrett Cook, as well as three hits and three runs batted in from Erik Sipes.  Jefferson started the game off with a single, stole second and scored on an Adam Seifert double.  Seifert moved to 3^rd base on a Wes Sery single and scored when the catcher’s throw on a double steal was too high.  In the 2^nd inning, Sipes led off with a double to left center, was sacrificed over and came in on Jefferson’s blast to left field.  In the 3^rd, Kyle Vaughn got on to start things on an infield error.  A Matthew James single put runners on the corners and Vaughn scored on the double steal.  Ryan Speller then singled and moved to second on an error before scoring on Erik Sipes second hit of the day.  Garrett Cook followed that with his shot over the left field fence.  In the 4^th, the Wildcats got two runs when Adam McGinnis led off with a single and stole second.  After an infield error and a Ryan Speller walk, Sipes got his third hit of the day, driving in McGinnis and James to up the lead to 10-0.

Sipes led the Wildcats with three hits, while Jefferson and McGinnis both had two.  Sipes had three runs batted in as Jefferson and Cook had two.

The Wildcats next take on the Morton Potters in Morton on Thursday.