Joseph City won all three games convincingly last week and moved into the 16th position in the power rankings with just Tuesday’s road game at Many Farms left on the regular season schedule.
After defeating Valley at home on Monday, 12-2, Joseph City then won 19-0 at Piñon on Thursday and closed out the week with a 19-3 home field win over Fredonia on Saturday.
Monday’s 12-2 five-inning victory over visiting Valley Sanders was the Wildcats’ fifth in a row.
The Pirates came out strong with two runs in the top of the first and held the lead until the bottom of the third.
Joseph City scored once in the first, took the lead for good with four runs in the third, added five more in the fourth and finished off the 10-run rule decision with two in the bottom of the fifth.
The Cats scored their 12 runs on 11 hits and played error free ball. Valley scored two runs on three hits and made two errors.
KJ Kinlicheenie went 1 for 2 at the plate with a walk and two RBIs. Bryndon Buckley was 3 for 4 with a home run, three RBIs and scored twice. Dylan Romero drew two walks and scored twice. Sam Johnstun went 1 for 2 with a triple, a walk, an RBI and scored twice. Troy Poudrier went 4 for 4 with a double, an RBI and scored three runs.
Jack Wilbanks earned the win on the hill. He faced 20 Pirate batters, allowing two runs, only one earned, on three hits with six strikeouts and walked two.
Ten second inning runs in Piñon on Thursday set the Wildcats up for an easy five-inning win. They tacked on four more in the third and an additional four in the fourth to close out the scoring.
Buckley was 1 for 1 with a double; Johnstun, 2 for 3; Rance Haddox, 1 for 4; Wilbanks, 2 for 3; and Poudrier, 1 for 2. Joseph City managed just seven hits, but drew 15 walks against Eagle pitching, putting several runners on base.
Buckley pitched three innings, allowing just one hit with 10 strikeouts. Johnstun worked one inning, also allowing one hit with two strikeouts and one walk.
Saturday’s final home game of the season was another lopsided affair, with the Wildcats taking the lead over Fredonia with three runs in the bottom of the first. After the Lynx tied the game in the top of the second, Joseph City ran off 16 unanswered runs to win the game in five innings. The Cats scored two in the s econd, then added 10 in the third and collected their final four runs in the fourth frame.
Buckley went 3 for 4 with a homer; Kinlicheenie, 1 for 1; Romero, 1 for 2; Tristan Richard, 1 for 2 with a double; Johnstun, 2 for 2 with a triple; Haddox, 1 for 2 with a triple; Wilbanks, 2 for 2 with a double; and Poudrier, 1 for 4.
Buckley, Kolton McCormick and Wilbanks combined to pitch the five innings. Collectively, they gave up three runs on just two hits with 11 strikeouts and walked six.
After playing in Many Farms on Tuesday, the Wildcats will be in the 24-team Division V state tournament, which begins on Friday afternoon, April 29, at the Tempe Diablo Complex. Their final seeding in the bracket won’t be known until Thursday morning.
