Category: News

5-11-2011 vs. Danville Vikings

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NCWHS Wildcats	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	7	1
Danville Vikings	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	5	0

 

Wildcats Miss Opportunities to Beat Danville

Missed opportunities was the name of the game when the Normal West Wildcats lost a 2-1 Big 12 Conference stunner to host Danville.  After conceding a first inning run that shouldn’t have scored, the Wildcats got the leadoff man on base in four of the next five innings and each time got the runner to third base, but could never get the key hit to gain momentum.  Ultimately, a completely unexpected walk off home run silenced the Wildcats in the bottom of the 7^th inning, sending the record to 22-6 overall and 7-2 in conference.

Wildcat ace Matthew James went to the mound to face Viking ace Cody Burton.  The Wildcats gave up a run in the first when, with two outs, a lazy fly ball fell in shallow left field to keep the inning alive and the next batter got a hit.  The Wildcats looked to tie it up in the second when Trey Rogers doubled down the left field line, Adam Seifert got hit by a pitch and they were sacrificed over, but not that inning.  In the 4^th a Wes Sery double and infield grounder that moved him up didn’t amount to anything when the squeeze play failed.  Erik Sipes singled, got moved over and stole third base in the 5^th, but we came up empy there too.

In the top of the 6^th inning the Wildcats tied the game when Kyle Vaughn led off with a walk and Adam McGinnis doubled into the gap in right center.  After Sery’s second hit of the game put runners on the corners, he stole second.  Again, Burton’s strong pitching silenced the Wildcats.

In the 7^th, Danville’s Zach Thomas worked a long at bat into a full count, plus a couple of foul balls, before homering just over the left field fence to end the game and start a huge Viking celebration.

James threw six plus innings, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk with ten strikeouts.  Wes Sery led the Cats with two hits while Adam McGinnis had the only RBI.

The Wildcats return to action tomorrow with a trip to Decatur for the second game against the MacArthur Generals

5-10-2011 vs. Decatur MacArthur Generals

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MacArthur Generals	0	0	1	0	0	X	X	1	5	3
NCWHS Wildcats	2	0	5	3	1	X	X	11	11	2

 

Wildcats Outbattle the Generals

The Normal West Wildcats took care of business in an 11-1 home victory over the Decatur MacArthur Generals in Big 12 action at West Varsity Field.  Nick Barnhill got his first varsity start as a Wildcat and handled the job well to get his first varsity win.  The offense hit a lot of line drives on another day when the wind was howling straight in from center field.  The win ups the Wildcats’ record to 22-5 overall and 7-1 in conference play.

 Barnhill settled right in on the mound, striking out three in the first inning.  The only run he gave up came in the third inning and was unearned.  For the game, he pitched five innings and gave up one run on five hits with a walk and nine strikeouts.

The Wildcats struck early on offense, getting two in the 1^st inning when Alex Jefferson led off with a double off the wall in left, Kyle Vaughn walked and Adam McGinnis got hit by a pitch to load the bases.  After Jefferson got a little aggressive and got picked off third, a balk moved the runners up and Trey Rogers doubled them both in.  In the 3^rd, Wes Sery singled to right, as did Rogers to put runners on the corners.  Rogers then stole second.  Erik Sipes got an RBI with a groundout that moved the runners and Matthew James singled to score Rogers.  James stole second and moved to third on the high catcher’s throw.  Garrett Cook walked and took second before James stole home, beating a high and outside pitch as the catcher couldn’t hang on to the ball.  Cook moved to third on the play.  Jefferson then got hit and stole second before both runners scored on an infield error.

In the 4^th, McGinnis led off with a single and Sery singled for his second hit.  An errant pick off throw allowed McGinnis to score and Sery to move up before Rogers brought him home with a sacrifice fly to center. Adam Seifert then got hit and stole second , moved up on a ground ball and scored on a wild pitch.  In the 5^th, McGinnis, Sery and Rogers singles led to a walk by Erik Sipes that forced in the winning run.

Wes Sery and Trey Rogers led the Wildcats with three hits, while Adam McGinnis had two.  Rogers led the Wildcats with three runs batted in while Sipes had two.

The Wildcats head to Danville to face the Vikings tomorrow in a key conference matchup at 4:30 at Danville Stadium.   See you there.

5-7-2011 vs. Mattoon Green Wave

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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

 

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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.