Wildcats split season-opening doubleheader

The Whiteoak Wildcats began their journey that is the 2016 baseball season on the road Saturday afternoon, and they returned home with a win and a loss by splitting a doubleheader with the South Webster Jeeps in non-conference play.

WHS (1-1) won the second game of their twin bill with the Jeeps and dropped the first game. In game two, the Wildcats won by a 3-2 score, a game where they tallied four extra-base hits, all doubles.

After the first inning was in the books, the Wildcats were trailing by a 1-0 score, but once the third inning was complete, the score was tied at 2-2, thanks to a two-run third inning by WHS where Jacob Burns and Joey Oliver rounded the bases.

The Wildcats took the lead for good in the top of the fifth with another run scored by Burns.

Trevor Martin led the Wildcats at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI. Burns was 1-of-4 but scored two runs, tallied one RBI, and his lone hit was one of the four doubles hit by the Wildcats.

Martin was also the winning pitcher, going all seven innings in the victory. In those seven innings, he allowed just one hit and two runs (none earned). He walked two and had seven strikeouts.

“Trevor pitched an impressive game,” WHS head coach Chris Veidt said. “He got stronger as he went. He adjusted and found a consistent breaking ball and stayed within a low pitch count.

“Perhaps the most impressive part of his performance was the way he finished. He had a four-pitch sixth and then closed it out in seventh by striking out the side. He also had a nice game offensively with two hits.”

Kyle Marler and Oliver each had a double as well, with Martin also having an RBI. Also with a hit in the game two win were Chase Carraher, Brandon Lowe and Austin Lewis.

“We also were impressive offensively in the second game with eight hits, including four doubles,” Veidt said.

WHS kept the Jeeps scoreless in the final four innings of the second game.

In game one, the Wildcats lost 11-1, with the Jeeps scoring enough runs for a five-inning run-rule victory. SW scored one run in the first, followed by a six-run second, two-run third and a two-run fifth.

Carraher was 1-of-2 in the game.

The loss was charged to Burns, who in three innings allowed nine runs, but just four earned, on nine hits and one walk. He finished with one strikeout. Casey Nace pitched 2.1 innings of relief, where he allowed two runs (none earned) on three hits and one walk.

“As a team, we were very impressive from the aspect of being able to come back from an uncharacteristic game one and beat a quality opponent in a great high school baseball game,” Veidt said. “Being successful in this game is all about handling the negativity that this game can bring, and we did that in an impressive fashion.”