Category: 2011 Varsity News

5-19-2011 vs. Bloomington Raiders

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	R	H	E
Bloomington Raiders	0	1	1	2	0	0	0	0	4	9	1
NCWHS Wildcats	1	0	0	0	3	0	0	1	5	10	1

 

Wildcats Win Share of Big 12 Championship

 The Normal West Wildcats came from behind to defeat the Bloomington Raiders 5-4 in eight innings to win a share of the Big 12 Conference championship, their fourth straight.  Kyle Vaughn singled to right center to score Matthew James with the winner in the bottom of the 8^th to start the celebration.  The victory improves the Wildcats record to 27-6 and 11-2 in conference.

The Wildcats got out to a lead in the first inning when Alex Jefferson singled and got moved to second on a Vaughn bunt.  With two outs, Wes Sery singled to right center to score him.  The Raiders struck back in the 2^nd on a Tyler Dicken home run to left.  The Raiders got timely hitting in the 3^rd and 4^th as they sacrificed a runner to second for the second out both times and then got singles to drive him in.

The Wildcats fought back in the 5^th to make it 4-4 when Matthew James singled to lead off and Ryan Speller singled past the third baseman to put two runners on.  Jefferson promptly got hit in the back to load the bases and Kyle Vaughn singled over the second baseman to drive in James.  A wild pitch brought in Speller and moved the runners up.  After an diving infield out, Wes Sery was intentionally walked to load the bases again.  With two outs Adam Seifert worked an eleven pitch at bat into a walk to force in Jefferson with the tying run and set up the late inning dramatics.

After a scoreless 6^th and 7^th where Bloomington each time got a lead-off single and sacrifice, but couldn’t get a key hit,   The Wildcats got their own opportunity with the bases loaded in the their 7^th, but couldn’t push one across.  In the 8^th, the Wildcats broke through when Matthew James singled up the middle to lead off.   The second baseman made a diving stop, but his late throw was wild and allowed James to go to second.  Ryan Speller got hit by a pitch pulling back from a bunt, then Kyle Vaughn drove a line drive into right center to win the game.

Adam Seifert got the win for the Wildcats, working the 7^th and 8^th.  He improves to 6-0 on the season with no runs and no hits and two walks and two strikeouts.  Kyle Vaughn started on the mound for the Wildcats, going 3 2/3 innings with four runs on six hits and a strikeout.  Dustin Detweiler relieved him and went 2 1/3 innings with no runs on three hits and a strikeout.

Vaughn, Sery and James led the Wildcats with two hits while Vaughn had two RBI.

The Wildcats return to action on Saturday at home against the always tough Oak Forest Bengals, who sport a 19-4 record.

5-17-2011 vs. Bloomington Raiders

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
NCWHS Wildcats	1	1	4	0	4	X	X	10	15	1
Bloomington Raiders	0	0	0	0	0	X	X	0	4	0

 

Wildcats Handle the Raiders 10-0

The Normal West Wildcats needed a victory at Bloomington to regain a share of the Big 12 Conference lead and set up a championship showdown on Thursday at home.  They came through with relative comfort in a 10-0 win in five innings, pounding out 15 hits, peppering the hole between short and third with ground ball singles.  The wins moves the Wildcats record to 26-6 overall and 10-2 in the Big 12 Conference.

Matthew James controlled the Raiders on the mound, allowing a few more runners than usual, but continually making quality pitches in key situations.  James picks up his sixth win of the season, going five innings and giving up no runs on four hits, two walks, a hit batter with nine strikeouts.

The offense staked James to an early lead with a run in the 1^st inning.  Kyle Vaughn walked and moved around to third on wild pitches.  Wes Sery walked and worked the double steal with Vaughn to make it 1-0.  In the 2^nd, Adam Seifert singled to lead off.  Matthew James singled to right to move him up.  Garrett Cook singled to left, but Seifert got cut down at the plate when he stumbled coming around third.  Alex Jefferson then walked to load the bases before Kyle Vaughn singled past the second baseman to score James. 

The Wildcats extended their lead in the 3^rd inning when Rogers singled up the middle and took second on a wild pitch.   Erik Sipes two out single between first and second scored Rogers.  James singled to right again to put runners on the corners, and then stole second base.  Garrett Cook walked and Jefferson drove in two with a single to center.  Cook went to third on the single and scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-0.

In the 5^th inning, the Wildcats started a four run rally after two were out.  Jefferson singled up the middle, Vaughn singled to right and McGinnis singled past the third baseman to drive in Jefferson.  Sery then singled to left to score Vaughn.  Rogers drove in McGinnis with a hit and Seifert finished it off with a double to left to score Sery and make it 10-0.

Rogers led the Wildcats with three hits, while Jefferson, Vaughn, Seifert and James had two and everyone in the lineup had at least one.  Jefferson had two RBIs, while six other batters had one.

The Wildcats and Raiders will do it again on Thursday at 4:30 at West Varsity Field in the rematch, with at least a share of the conference title on the line.

5-14-2011 vs. Champaign Central Maroons

Game One	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
NCWHS Wildcats	1	2	0	7	3	X	X	13	12	1
Central Maroons	0	0	0	1	0	X	X	1	2	3

 

Game Two	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
NCWHS Wildcats	1	1	1	4	9	X	X	16	15	1
Central Maroons	0	0	2	1	0	X	X	3	6	2

 

Wildcats Down the Maroons Twice

The Normal West Wildcats avoided bad weather in Central Illinois and avoided a let down by beating the Champaign Central Maroons twice in 10-run rule five inning games.  The wins put the Wildcats at 9-2 in Big 12 Conference play and set up a pair of showdowns with Bloomington next week with the championship on the line.  With the central part of the state getting rain throughout the weekend and having games washed out, Champaign was relatively dry Saturday morning as the Wildcats bats were hot, producing 13-1 and 16-3 victories.  The Wildcats move to 25-6 overall and 9-2 in conference.

In the first game, Adam Seifert held the Maroons to one run on two hits with two walks and eight strikeouts over five innings to pick up his 5^th win of the year.  He was supported right away by an Adam McGinnis double and Wes Sery RBI single in the 1^st inning.  In the 2^nd, Erik Sipes doubled and scored when Matthew James doubled over the rightfielder. 

The Wildcats pulled away in the 4^th.  Sipes led off with a single and took second on an error.  Matthew James walked and they both stole a base.  Alex Jefferson knocked in Sipes with a sacrifice fly and then Kyle Vaughn walked to put two aboard again.  McGinnis got his third hit of the game to drive in James.  Sery singled home Vaughn and Rogers’ sharp single to left loaded the bases.  Seifert brought in two with a line drive to center.  He moved up on a wild pitch and then Rogers scored and Seifert moved to third on an errant pickoff throw by the pitcher.  Erik Sipes got hit by a pitch and when he stole second, Seifert took home to make it 10-0.  In the 5^th, Garrett Cook led off with a walk before Alex Jefferson grounded into a fielders choice.  A Vaughn walk put two on and McGinnis cleaned them off again with a double to left before scoring on a Sery sacrifice fly.

McGinnis led the Wildcats with four hits while Sery, Seifert and Sipes had two.  McGinnis and Sery each had three RBIs, with Seifert getting two.

In game two, Mac Byrd toed the rubber for the Wildcats, logging four innings to get his third victory on the year.  Mac gave up three runs on six hits with six strikeouts.  Dustin Detwieler pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts to finish the game off.

The Wildcats scored in the 1^st when Ryan Speller walked, stole second and scored on an Adam McGinnis single.  In the 2^nd, Adam Seifert walked, moved up on a wild pitch and Sipes sacrifice and scored on a James infield out.  In the 3^rd, Kyle Vaughn got the first of his three doubles and scored on another McGinnis base hit.  In the 4^th, James singled and stole second before Jake McDowell walked.  After a Jefferson sacrifice, Vaughn doubled them both home.  He scored on an infield error and Wes Sery drove in the fourth run of the inning with a double.

The Wildcats cleaned up in the 5^th with nine runs.  Seifert led off with a triple to left center.  Sipes drove him in with a single.  James got a hit and then McDowell got a hit to load the bases.  Jefferson drew a walk to score James before Vaughn doubled in McDowell and Jefferson.  McGinnis got his seventh hit of the day, driving in Vaughn and moving to second on the throw in.  After a wild pitch, Sery knocked him in with a sac fly.  Nolan Caldwell got aboard on a Maroon error before Sipes walked.  Jacob Davis knocked in Caldwell with a line single to left and then McDowell knocked in Sipes with a single.

Vaughn and McGinnis led the Wildcats with three hits, while James and McDowell had two each.  Vaughn drove in four and McGinnis two.

The Wildcats play next at Howard Saar Field on Tuesday at 4:30 against the Bloomington Raiders.