Whitko Sports Wrap: May 20
Baseball
Rain washed out the second game of a doubleheader at Prairie Heights, but first Whitko’s baseball team claimed a 9-5 victory over their hosts Saturday.
The Wildcats snapped a 2-2 tie with five runs in the sixth.
Landon Goff scored on a passed ball at the plate, Alex Bechtold scored on a squeeze bunt by Austin Hollowell, Zach Hewitt scored on a wild pitch, Bailey Platt scored on another squeeze bunt by River West, and Colin Craig singled in Alex Robbins to give Whitko a 7-2 advantage headed into the bottom half of the inning. The visitors plated two more runs in the seventh, then held on through a three-run rally by the Cougars in the final frame to move to 19-7 on the season.
West got the win on the mound, lasting 6 2/3 innings, striking out 10 while surrendering four hits and three walks for just one earned run as the Wildcats survived a five-error outing. Goff came in to close the door in the seventh, which he promptly did with a strikeout.
Blake Hoyer took the loss for Prairie Heights coming in to relieve Chandler Sailor in the fifth. Hoyer gave up three hits and a walk for five runs, none earned, during Whitko’s big inning.
Drew Bradford went 2 for 2 officially with a double, an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base to lead the Wildcats on offense.
Prairie Heights drops to 10-15 with the loss.
Whitko’s next game is Monday at Bellmont. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
Softball
Ellie Snep pitched a complete-game shutout, and Whitko’s softball team closed out the regular season with its 20th win, a 6-0 victory over Norwell Saturday.
Snep scattered just three hits and only two walks, striking out five on the way to the win.
The Lady Wildcats jumped on top with a run on an Andrea Snavley single in the top of the first but didn’t strike again until Kennedy Krull singled in Snep in the sixth. Whitko broke it open with three runs in the final inning as Anna Ousley doubled in Emmie Duggins with one out, and Snep helped her own cause with a two-run blast out to center to bring the score to its final margin.
Ousley, Snavley, Duggins, Snep, Krull, Shianna Bradley, Reannon Hopkins and Riley Insley finished with one hit apiece for Whitko, and Ousley and Snep finished with two RBI each.
Whitko improved to 20-5 with the win. The Wildcats drew the bye at the Class 2A Oak Hill Sectional and wait to play the winner of Monday’s game between Manchester and Wabash on Thursday at 5 p.m.