By Greg Perkins The Wildcats of Joseph City opened the baseball season with a loss at Holbrook last Wednesday, but bounced back in a big way, going 4-0 at the Hopi High School Tournament last weekend. Their first tournament game was a 7-2 win over Tuba City. Adam Smith pitched well on the hill in three innings of work. He allowed two runs on one hit with five walks and two strikeouts. At the plate Smith helped his cause, going two for two. Kadin Crosby and Bryndon Buckley were both one for two. Cody Davis was one for three, Troy Poudrier was one for one and Wyatt Johnson went one for two with a double. The Cats’ second game on Thursday resulted in a 6-4 win over Window Rock. Davis pitched two innings, facing 13 batters. He allowed four runs, all earned, on two hits with four walks and five strikeouts. Bryndon Buckley also pitched two innings, allowing no runs with one walk and four strikeouts. At the plate, Bryndon Buckley went one for three; Hayden Hendricks, one for two; Robert Downs, one for one; and Jack Wilbank, one for two. Johnson was one for two with a double and Davis was one for three with a triple. On Friday the Wildcats defeated the hosting Hopi Bruins by a final of 13-2 in just three innings. Johnson pitched all three innings, facing 14 Bruin batters. He allowed only two runs, one earned, on one hit with five strikeouts and three walks. Davis led the team at the plate, going two for three with a pair of doubles. Bryndon Buckley was also two for three; Poudrier, two for two; Hayden Hendricks, KJ Buckley and Wilbank, all one for two; and Wyatt Johnson, one for one. Their final game of the tournament was a 20-1 pounding of Rough Rock. Joseph City got a strong performance on the hill from Wilbank, who faced 16 batters, giving up one unearned run on two hits with a walk and eight strike outs. Bryndon Buckley and Johnson each went three for four with a double. Davis was three for four with a double and a triple. Chance Bray, Hayden Hendricks and Wilbank all went one for two; Poudrier and KJ Buckley, both two for three; and Sam Johnstun and Downs, both one for one. Joseph City started the season at Holbrook with a 12-4 loss to the Roadrunners. After taking a three-run lead in the top of the first, the Cats gave up three runs in the bottom of the first, then managed just one run the rest of the way. Bryndon Buckley went three for three and scored twice. TJ Hendricks was one for four, Downs was one for three and Wyatt Johnson was two for four. Buckley worked three innings facing 17 Roadrunner batters. He allowed seven runs, only one earned, with two strikeouts. Johnson pitched three innings facing 10 batters. He gave up three runs, two earned, on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Wilbank pitched one inning and gave up two runs, one earned, on one hit with a walk and two strikeouts. After hosting Mogollon on Tuesday, the Wildcats will compete in the Route 66 Tournament slated Thursday through Saturday, March 13-15, in Williams. On Tuesday, March 18, they travel to Heber to visit the Mogollon Mustangs on their turf.