Normal West Baseball

03-19-2011 vs. Pekin Dragons

Wildcats Beat the Dragons

The Normal West Wildcats completed the Saturday sweep in Galesburg with a 6-3 victory over the Pekin Dragons.  The Wildcats move to 2-0 on the season.

After the Dragons made it 4-3 with two runs in the 6^th inning, the Wildcats got some insurance runs in their half with two outs when Alex Jefferson beat out an infield hit, Adam Seifert doubled him home with a drive over the center fielder and Adam McGinnis doubled Seifert home with a shot to right center.

Adam Seifert took the win on the mound with 5 2/3 innings of work.  He gave up three runs on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts.  Alex Jefferson worked the final inning and a third to get the save, allowing no runs on two hits, a hit batter and three strikeouts.

Six Wildcats had a hit in the game with Jefferson scoring two runs and McGinnis driving in two.

The Wildcats return to action at home on Tuesday with a varsity/junior varsity doubleheader against Moline at 2:00.

03-19-2011 vs. Moline Maroons at Galesburg

Wildcats Open Season With 4-2 Victory

The Normal West Wildcats got a real test against the Moline Maroons, but passed it with a 4-2 victory.  On an early Saturday morning at sunny, but cool Galesburg, the Wildcats broke open a tight game in the 5^th inning with 2 runs and closed the door on the Maroons in the late innings to open the season.

The game set up to be a pitchers duel between Wildcat ace Kyle Vaughn and Moline fireballer Seth Fuller, with a nice breeze at their back.  Through four innings that held true as the Maroons were scoreless on one hit and the Wildcats had the lone run on two hits.  Adam McGinnis singled in the 2^nd inning and moved up on an infield ground out.  When the next batter struck out, but the catcher missed the ball, the batter got in a rundown between first and second base and allowed McGinness to score on a wild throw.

In the 5^th, Erik Sipes led off with a walk before a Matthew James grounder was misplayed by the Maroons putting runners on first and second.  A wild pitch moved them up before Garrett Cook’s dribbler up the first base line had the pitcher hitting Cook with his throw and Sipes scoring when the 1^st baseman couldn’t come up with it quickly enough.   Alex Jefferson laid down a nice squeeze bunt to drive in James to make it 3-0.

The Maroons struck back in the bottom half with a walk and single, before another single brought both runners in.  A Wildcat error put runners on second and third with one out, but Matthew James struck out the 4 and 5 hitters to get out of the jam.  James set down six of the final seven hitters in the next two innings to close out the game.

 Kyle Vaughn pitched 4 1/3 innings to claim the victory, allowing two runs on three hits with two walks, a hit batter and three strikeouts.  James got the save by going 2 2/3 innings and only allowing one hit batter and striking out three.

The Wildcats got an insurance run in the 7^th inning when Alex Jefferson singled to left field and scored on an Adam Seifert double over the left fielders head.

Adam McGinnis led the Wildcats with three hits.

The Wildcats will see the Maroons again right away on Tuesday in their third game of the season.