The Wildcats are off to a slow start in the new baseball season. Joseph City opened their season on Tuesday last week suffering a 14-1 home-field loss to Ash Fork/Seligman.
The first inning went fine, with the Wildcats matching the visitor’s only first-inning run. However, from that point on the game belonged entirely to the Spartans. They scored 6 runs in the second and third innings, then added the final run of the game in the fourth frame.
Joseph City had just one hit in the game, which came off the bat of Tytan Penrod who tripled in the first inning.
Kayson Miller pitched two frames, as did Kase Fish. J.J. Sander and Jeffrey Howerton, each worked one inning. Collectively the group gave up 14 runs on 13 hits with 7 strikeouts and walked 9 Spartan batters.
In their second regular season contest, the Wildcats were beaten by El Capitan 20-4 on Thursday. Joseph City had 6 hits in the loss, led by Penrod who went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI, and stole two bases. Kyan Larsen went 1 for 2, Miller 1 for 3, and Justin Gardner was 2 for 3. Kase Fish had 1 stolen base.
Miller pitched four innings, allowing 13 runs on 13 hits with 7 strikeouts and walked just one. Larsen worked two-thirds of an inning giving up 6 runs on 3 hits with four walks. Jeffrey Howerton pitched one-third of an inning, giving up a run on 2 hits.
The Wildcats will have this week off for spring break, then will resume action on March 18, when they host St. Michael. Two days later they will travel to Window Rock.
