Author: Chris Seifert

4-8-2011 vs. Chatham Glenwood Titans

Wildcats Crush the Titans

The Normal West Wildcats turned a tight game into a blowout, erupting for four runs in the 5^th inning and five in the 6^th to down the Chatham Glenwood Titans 11-0 at Chatham.  Leading 2-0 heading to the top of the 5^th, five hits sandwiched around a Titan error and a sacrifice fly blew the game open for the Wildcats.   Matthew James handcuffed the Titans on two hits over five innings for the win as the Wildcats raised their record to 9-3.

Coming off their first loss of the season, the 12-1 Titans were ranked No. 2 in the state by Prep Baseball Report, but the Wildcats got on the board right away.  Adam McGinnis doubled to right center and Wes Sery tripled into the right field corner to make it 1-0.  In the 4^th, Matthew James walked and scored on Erik Sipes’ triple to right center.

It was a pitcher’s duel to that point with James only giving up a walk and a hit batter through four innings.  In the 5^th, Alex Jefferson led off with a single and moved to third on Kyle Vaughn’s single past the first baseman.  When Chatham couldn’t handle Adam McGinnis’ ground ball, Jefferson scored.  Wes Sery bunted for a hit to load the bases before Matthew James scored Vaughn with a deep fly to center.  Adam Seifert singled to left to score McGinnis and came all the way around to score on a single by Erik Sipes that was misplayed by the Titans rightfielder.

James gave up his only two hits in the 5^th, but got out of the bases loaded jam by inducing a ground ball to second base where Jacob Davis made a nice play to end the inning.

In the 6^th, the Wildcats put it away with Jefferson and Vaughn leading off with singles before McGinnis crushed a fastball into a slight breeze over the 380 sign in straight away center for a three-run homer to put the Wildcats up 9-0.  Wes Sery got aboard on an error and Erik Sipes provided the winning margin with a towering homer over the left field fence.

James pitched five innings for the win, giving up two hits, a walk, a hit batter and striking out four.  Adam Seifert pitched the 7^th, giving up one hit.

Sipes and Vaughn led the Wildcats with three hits each, while Jefferson, McGinnis and Sery had two.  McGinnis had four runs batted in for the Wildcats and Sipes had 3. 

The Wildcats come back home for a noon game at IWU against No. 8 ranked O’Fallon Panthers on Saturday.

4-5-2011 vs. Springfield Senators

Wildcats Veto the Senators

The Normal West Wildcats showed they have good hitters up and down the lineup against the Springfield Senators in a 12-5 win at Chamberlain Park.  All nine Cats’ batters got a hit and five of them had multiple hits, including four each for Ryan Speller and Garrett Cook, as the Wildcats pile up 18 hits total against solid Senator pitching.  The victory raises the Wildcats record to 8-3 ahead of a return trip south on Friday to face the Chatham Glenwood Titans.

The Wildcats got out to a lead in the first inning Kyle Vaughn and Wes Sery walked and Matthew James singled Vaughn in.  In the 2^nd, Speller got aboard on an infield error and stole second before Garrett Cook chased him with a double just inside the third base bag.  Alex Jefferson then drove him in with a base hit. 

After the Senators tied the game in the bottom of the 3^rd, the Wildcats got three in the 4^th when Garrett Cook again double to left ahead of Jefferson getting hit and Vaughn walking to load the bases.  Wes Sery came through with a clutch two run single and Matthew James followed that up with an RBI single of his own.

In the 5^th, Speller picked up his second single of the game and Cook got his third double in a row to put runners on second and third base.  Alex Jefferson cleaned them up with a single up the middle.  He went to third on an infield error on the Senators and scored on a wild pitch.  In the 6^th, the Wildcats tacked on two when Adam Seifert singled and took second on an outfield bobble and scored on Speller’s third hit.  Speller moved to third on a Cook hit and scored on wild pitch.  The Wildcats closed out the scoring when Matthew James walked, Seifert singled and Erik Sipes drove in James with a single to left center.

Cook and Speller led the Wildcats with four hits, while Jefferson, James and Seifert each had two.  Jefferson had three runs batted in while Sery and James each had two.

Kyle Vaughn collected another win on the mound.  He tossed five plus innings allowing five runs, three earned, on five hits, a walk and a hit batter.  Dustin Detweiler finished up for the Wildcats, pitching the last two innings with a walk and four strikeouts, including fanning the side in the 7^th.