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Poor field conditions due to rain and lingering snow caused cancellation and postponement of Wildcat baseball games throughout April, with the Wildcats limited to just one game until April 25.  The Wildcats finally started playing a more-regular schedule starting late in April, with doubleheaders being the order of the day to try to get in as many games as possible in the shortened season.  Hitters seem to have an advantage over pitchers, so far.  In their recent four game stretch, the Wildcats went 2-2. They scored 33 runs and allowed 38 runs in those four games.

Monticello 8, Chisago Lakes 2

In the first game of a doubleheader, the Monticello Magic pounded out seven of their nine hits in the first two innings, scoring seven runs.  The Wildcats had just four hits and never seriously threatened the Magic, who went on to beat the Wildcats 8-2 Tuesday, April 25 in Monticello.  Luke Urhammer started and took the loss for the Wildcats, giving up seven runs (four earned) on seven hits, and walking two.  The pitching settled down after the first two innings.  Traeson Griffin pitched two scoreless innings, allowing one hit, walking three and striking out three.  Tyler Drury threw the last two innings, allowing one earned run on one hit and walking three.  He struck out two batters.  Drury also led the Wildcat offense, going two for three with a walk and a run scored.

Monticello 18, Chisago Lakes 4

Monticello broke open a close game with 12 runs in the third inning and crushed the Wildcats 18-4.  The Wildcats needed three pitchers just to get through the third, allowing seven hits and five walks – including four walks in a row.  They even hit a batter after the fourth straight walk.  The Wildcats actually led 4-2 after Andrew Mandell’s bases loaded triple drove in three runs in the first inning, but the Wildcat offense was largely silent for the rest of the game.

Chisago Lakes 7, Becker 3 (5 innings)

Playing at home for the first time this season, the Wildcats scored four times in the fourth inning to break a 3-3 tie and went on to beat the Becker Bulldogs 7-3.  Traeson Griffin started and went the first three and a third innings.  He allowed three runs, all earned, on four hits, walked six and struck out three.  Jack Walker pitched the final one and two-thirds innings to pick up the save, allowing no hits but walking three.  Caden Gibbs went two for three and drove in three ruins, and Logan Thorstad doubled twice in three at-bats.

Gibbs singled in a run in the first inning to give the Wildcats an early 1-0 lead.  The Wildcats added two more runs in the bottom of the third.  Griffin drove in one run with a single and the Wildcats scored another run when Reece Berner reached on a dropped fly ball in center field.  In the top of the fourth, a walk and two singled loaded the bases for Becker with one out.  After Griffin walked the next two batteries to push across two runs, Walker came into the game.  A run scored on a passed ball to tie the game.  Walker walked that batter to re-load the bases, but the next batter lined into a double play to keep the score tied at 3-3.

Thorstad doubled with one out in the bottom of the fourth, and Collin Hackl reached on an error.  Gibbs singled to center to drive in both runners, and the Wildcats led 5-3.  After Griffin singled, Andrew Mandell and Walker followed with run-scoring singles to make the score 7-3.  Berner lined into a double play to end the inning.

Chisago Lakes 20, Becker 9

In the second game of the doubleheader at Pat Collins Field, the Wildcats pounded out 20 hits and scored 20 runs in beating the Becker Bulldogs 20-9.  16 different Wildcats made multiple plate appearances in the game, with 13 of them getting at least one hit.  Collin Hackl, Xavier Taylor, Caden Gibbs, Leo Nash and Jack Walker had two hits apiece.  Gibbs led the way with three RBIs for the second game in a row.  Five other Wildcats drove in two runs each – Taylor, Andrew Mandell, Carson Drury and Dominic Torrez.  The three Wildcat pitchers had trouble getting the ball over the plate, walking ten batters between them.  Walker pitched the first four innings to pick up the win, allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits and striking out three.  Carson Drury pitched two innings of scoreless relief, allowing one hit and striking out one.  Tyler Drury allowed five runs in a forgettable seventh inning.

Baseball Banter

The Wildcats will play a doubleheader against the Tigers at Princeton today starting at 4 p.m.  Tomorrow, they will welcome the Osceola Braves to Pat Collins Field for a 4:30 p.m. game.  And next Tuesday, May 9 they will play a doubleheader against the Cambridge-Isanti Bluejackets at Adolph Larson Field in Cambridge, with the festivities getting underway at 4 p.m.

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