Wildcat baseball off to a strong start at 4-0-1

The Kennedale Wildcat??Baseball team is off to one of their best starts in the last several years with a 4-0-1 record and showing some early strength in pitching and power at the plate. {{more: continue …}}

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This is a loaded team with plenty of returners and as the coaches agree, a very coachable and talented team that could go a long way this season. And, if winning close games is an indication of character, Kennedale has shown a lot of it lately with their last three games determined in the last inning of play.

Last week in a rain shortened tournament hosted by Kennedale, the Wildcats took a 6-1 game over 5A Carter-Riverside followed by a big win over Alvarado 9-1.

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Then on Monday of this week, the Cats went extra innings to take a 6-5 win over a strong Midlothian Heritage team. The following Thursday, again at home at Jet Teague Ballpark and hosting their second tournament, the Cats stopped a rally by 5A Azle to win 8-6.

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On Friday, the Kennedale played 5A South Hills in a ?timed stopped? tournament game that ended with in 5-5 tie. In that game the Cats had to comeback in the fifth to regain the lead at 5-4 but the South Hills scored the tying run in the top of the 6th.? Kennedale was unable to score in the bottom of the 6th and the game was called on time.

Today, Saturday, March 03, they will play 5A Everman at 9 a.m. followed by Stephenville at 6 p.m.

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GAME UPDATES:?

5A Carter-Riverside – Saturday, Feb 24 (W 6-1)?

• Carter-Riverside got on the scoreboard first in the top of the 1st with single that scored the only Riverside run of the game. Kennedale pitcher Aaron Herrera got the win allowing just one hit and one run over five innings, striking out 6 while facing 20 batters. Ethan Wood threw one inning in relief allowing no hits and no runs while facing 3 batters.

• Carter-Riverside ended with 1 hit and no errors and 1 run scored. Kennedale had 6 runs on 10 hits with 1 error. The Cats had 1 run each in the 2nd and 3rd inning and 2 each in the 5th and 6th inning.

• Brandon Jones and JD Padgett went 2-3 at the plate each with 2 RBIs. Also getting RBIs, 1 each, were Austin Crabtree and Tyler Aguilar. Aaron Herrera hit a double during the game.

4A Alvarado ? Saturday, Feb 24 (W 9-1)?

• Kennedale took a game from Alvarado allowing the Indians just 1 run on 2 hits in 5 and half innings of play. The Wildcats scored 9 runs on 10 hits with 2 errors.

• The Cats scored 2 in the first and third innings of play and the kept the plate hot scoring 5 runs in the 5th. For the Cats, Jared Taylor facing 18 batters went 5 innings, throwing 50 strikes on 71 pitches, striking out 9 allowing one run on one hit and walking none. Austin Crabtree facing 5 batters pitched one inning in relief striking allowing no hits, no runs while walking one.

• Wildcat Aaron Herrera went 3-3 at the plate earning 3RBIs on two doubles and a single. Austin Crabtree went 2-3 hitting a triple and a single and earning 1 RBI. Also earnings RBIs were Bryce Hackett (2), Brandon Jones, JD Padgett and Reed Saenz.

4A Midlothian Heritage ? February 26 (W 6-5)?

• Kennedale first big challenge to their early spotless record came in this game. Kennedale and Heritage took this game into the 9th inning before the Cats scored the winning run. With game tied at 5 in the bottom of the 9th, Kennedale loaded the bases and then scored on a steal at home by Josh Taylor.

• Kennedale took an early 1-0 lead in the first when Aaron Herrera singles to score JD Padgett from third base. That lead held until the top of the 3rd when Heritage scored 3 runs for a 3-1 lead. The Cougars padded that lead with one run in the top of the 5th for a 4-1 score. The Cats cut it to 1 when the Kennedale scored 2 in the bottom of the 5th. Heritage added another run in the top of the 7th but Kennedale came up with 2 runs in the bottom half to tie the game at 5. No one scored again until Talyor?s steal in the 9th.

• For the game Heritage scored 5 runs on 9 hits with 3 errors. Kennedale had 6 runs on 9 hits with 3 errors. Kennedale used three pitchers. Heritage rough-up Ethan Wood who went 5 innings allowing 4 runs on 6 hits, striking out 2 and walking 1. He threw 66 pitches with 41 strikes. Jade Warren pitched 2.2 innings allowing 1 run on 2 hits with 2 strikeouts and 20 strikes on 29 pitches. Austin Crabtree finished the game pitching 1.1 innings allowing no runs on 1 hit with 2 strikeouts and 1 walk. He had 17 strikes in 26 pitches.

• Heritage was good at keeping Kennedale off the bases with 11 strike outs but Kennedale did get 6 runs on 9 hits. Heritage had 5 runs on 9 hits. Both team recorded 3 errors. Aaron Herrera had 2 RBIs with a double and a single. Also getting RBIs were Reed Saenz and Jared Taylor each with a hit and a walk. Bryce Hackett had one hit and an RBI. Others getting hits were JD Padgett and Ethan Wood.

5A Azle ? Thursday, Mar 1 (W 8-6)

• The Azle Hornets fell behind 8-2 in the 3rd to the Wildcats after Kennedale pounded the Hornet?s scoring 7 runs. Azle slowly crawled back into the game by scoring one run each over the next 4 innings and not allowing the Cats to cross the plate again.

• Azle had a rally going with the bases loaded and one out when they scored on a single. Cade Thompson pitching in relief for Cats seal the win with back to back outs getting a fly out to Austin Crabtree followed by a strikeout coming on a 2-2 count.

• For the game Azle had 6 runs on 10 hits with 1 error and Kennedale had 8 runs on 13 hits with a single error.

• The Wildcats had 5 players with doubles ? Bryce Hackett (1-3, 2 RBIs), Aaron Herrera (2-4, 1 RBI), Brandon Jones (2-3), Luke Michener (1-2) and Jared Taylor (1-2, 2 RBIS). Also getting hits were JD Padgett (2-3), Reed Sanez (1-3) and Ethan Wood (1-2). In all nine different Wildcats got hits.

• Jared Taylor pitched 5 innings facing 26 batters, getting 7 strikeouts while allowing 4 runs on 7 hits and walking 3. He threw 54 strikes in 85 pitches. Austin Crabtree pitched 1 inning facing 4 batters allowing 1 run on 1 hit with 8 strikes in 10 pitches. Bryce Hackett a third of an inning facing 4 batters allowing 1 run on 1 hit with two walks while throwing 13 strikes in 22 pitches. Cade Thompson faced three batters with 1 strikeout and allowing no runs on 1 hit. He threw 6 strikes in 12 pitches.