Playing in Mogollon on Tuesday afternoon the Wildcats made it a clean season sweep over their rival with an 8-3 win against the Mustangs. The Wildcats won the previous match up 3-1.
Both teams scored once in the first, but Joseph City took the lead for good with two runs in the top of the third. They expanded that margin to 7-1 with four runs in the fifth. Mogollon scored their final two runs in the bottom of the fifth. The Wildcats tacked on a final run in the top of the eighth for good measure.
Rance Haddox led the team at the plate going 4 for 4, with a triple; Avery Buckley was 2 for 4; Jesse Hulsey, 1 for 4; Rhett Beard, 1 for 3; Cameron Baldwin, 1 for 4; Colter Westover, 1 for 3; and KJ Kinlicheenie was 1 for 4, with a triple.
Kaden Moss, Hulsey and Baldwin combined to give up just the three runs on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks on the hill.
Joseph City played in the Morenci Invitational tournament at the close of the week. They fell to the host team Morenci on Thursday by a final of 11-3. KJ Kinlicheenie led the team at the plate going 3 for 3, with a double. Jesse Hulsey was 2 for 3.
On Friday, the Wildcats came up short against Pima falling to the Roughriders by a final of 11-2. Joseph City led briefly 1-0 through two innings but Pima scored 10 runs in the fourth and fifth frames combined to close the game out.
The Wildcats had just three hits in the game. Haddox was 1 for 2; Buckley, 1 for 2; and Hulsey went 1 for 3.
On Saturday Joseph City fell to Miami by a final of 11-6.
The Wildcats entered this final week of the regular season ranked 10th in the 1A rankings. They had two games left on their schedule. On Tuesday they were in Williams, then on Wednesday they will host Northland Prep in their final regular season game.
The 1A State tournament begins on May 4, with all games being played at the Goodyear Baseball Complex.
