STAFF REPORT
The Wildcats chalked up back to back wins against the Colonels on April 17, as Woodland beat Cass 16-2 in game one of a doubleheader.
That performance was followed up by a 15-4 win in game two.
Over the two games, Woodland’s Jakiyon Porter and Julian Wright each collected five hits. Porter finished the doubleheader with four RBIs and a sacrifice fly, while Wright called it a day with three RBIs.
Mason Williams had five RBIs in the doubleheader, while Chase Carson recorded four RBIs and one sac fly for the Wildcats.
Conner Lujan had three RBIs and a sac fly for Woodland; Rowan Billings and Connor Stermer also had three RBIs, while Brett Good posted two RBIs.
For Cass, Justin Peace recorded two RBIs, while Jesiel Moctezuma and Chase Tatum each had one RBI.
Posting hits for the Colonels were Carson Hill, Hunter Lovett, Cayden Roberts and Nic Wright.
In game one Coby Barrett had four strikeouts in two innings of play for Woodland; Ray had two strikeouts and Zach Lambert also saw some time at the pitcher’s mound.
In game two, Woodland pitcher Austin Daves amassed nine strikeouts in six innings of play; Woodland pitchers Logan Bentley and Carson Waits (two strikeouts) played in the seventh inning.
Hill pitched four innings for Cass, collecting five strikeouts in the process.
Several other players saw time at the mound for Cass in the doubleheader — Israel Contreras, Wesley Collins, Devan Hutchinson, Lovett, Trenton Payne, Peace, Roberts and Tatum.
Game three of the regional series was held at Woodland on April 18. The Wildcats triumphed over the Colonels yet again, this time via a 5-1 final score.
Ray launched a two-run homer in the first inning, with Barrett extending Woodland’s lead to 3-0 in the second.
Mason Williams also recorded an RBI for Woodland. Billings, Porter and Stermer all had base hits for the Wildcats.
Tatum hit two doubles in the Colonels’ loss. Luke Hollis, Moctezuma and Roberts had two hits for Cass, while Jenkins and Wright finished the game with one hit each.
Woodland Pitcher Hunter Shirley posted three strikeouts in three innings of play. Zach Lambert also took to the mound for Woodland in the final game of the regular season.
Lovett recorded two strikeouts for Cass in two innings of play, while Payne recorded three strikeouts over four innings of play.
Following the loss, Cass finishes the season with a 10-18 overall record, with a 5-10 record in Region 7, 5A competition.
The Wildcats improve to 18-12, overall, with a 12-3 record in regional games this season.
Cass was eliminated from playoffs contention.
The Wildcats secured the No. 2 regional seed in the State playoffs and will host the No. 3 seeded team from Region 8, 5A in the opening round.
That best of three series is slated to begin on April 24. As of publication time, the start times for both games — and who Woodland will face in the playoffs — had not been determined.
