Bobcat Baseball struggles at Needles

On April 18, the White Pine High School Baseball team traveled to Needles looking to keep themselves in contention for the 2A South league title.

The Bobcats, who trailed by one game in the standings to Needles and Lake Mead, played two games against the Mustangs.

However, White Pine was swept, losing 10-7 and 13-3.

In the first game, White Pine had a four-run third inning to break the ice. However, Needles responded with six in the fourth.

The Mustangs would also go on to score in each of the next three innings before White Pine put together a rally. The Bobcats scored three times in the seventh, but it was not enough.

Offensively, sophomore Maddox Sedlacek went 4-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs, a run scored and two stolen bases. Senior Tucker Maestes went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Fellow senior Dylan Cessford went 1-for-3 and two runs.

Senior Jackson Armstrong got the start for head coach Quinn Ewell. Armstrong went 3.2 innings, while allowing four hits, four runs (one earned), one walk and struck out one. Ewell then turned to Sedlacek, who struggled on the mound. In 3.1 innings, the sophomore allowed four hits, six earned runs, four walks and struck out one.
In the second game of the doubleheader, White Pine once again had an early lead, scoring two runs in the first inning.

Needles then scored 13 unanswered runs to take a 13-2 lead after four innings, including an eight-run third inning.

White Pine scored a run in the fifth but could not score anymore before the game ended due to the 10-run mercy rule.

Maestes and Cessford continued their offensive attack from the first game by both going 2-for-3 and a run scored while combining for three stolen bases. Sedlacek, Armstrong and junior Daniel Highline each got a base hit.

On the hill, Cessford allowed three hits, four runs (two earned) and two walks in two innings. Junior Jacob Hall also pitched two innings, allowing four hits, nine runs (five earned) and three walks.

With the two losses, White Pine falls to 11-9 overall and 6-4 in league play. As of April 21, the Bobcats hold a two-game lead for third place on Lincoln County and Awaken Christian, who both are 3-5 in the league.

The top four teams in the 2A South standings earn a trip to the league double-elimination playoffs, which are set for May 8-10 at Laughlin High School.
The Bobcats have two more games left in the regular season, hosting Lake Mead on May 2. First pitch for both games are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.