HUMBOLDT — In what will become an annual battle for supremacy the of area’s best group of Wildcats, Marmaton Valley and Yates Center’s first doubleheader as Three Rivers League foes ended with a hard-fought split.
Yates Center showed off its young talent by starting a pair of freshman pitchers. Coach David Daugharthy gave his team’s first start of the season to freshman Caden Graham and he had to be encouraged by the results.
“Our pitchers threw strikes and that was all we really needed,” Daugharthy said. “We got just enough hitting.”
Graham pitched four innings and allowed just one run on one hit and a walk while striking out five opposing Wildcats.
“I just wanted to see what he had,” Daugharthy said. “He has a lot of potential.”
Graham’s supporting cast got Graham the lead when Gavin Dillow scored a two-out run in the third inning.
Marmaton Valley was finally able to get to the Yates Center freshman in the fourth inning to answer Dillow’s run. Marmaton Valley junior Brock Hall scored on a Korbin Smith ground out.
Yates Center was able to gain some separation in the bottom of the fifth inning when they posted four runs.
Marmaton Valley pitcher Justice Pugh loaded the bases with just one out before sophomore Caiden Elliot came in for relief and Yates Center took advantage of the new pitcher.
Elliot walked in the first run and Nolan Jones singled to give Yates Center another one.
An RBI ground out from Devon Hathaway plated another and Yates Center made it 5-1 on an Elliot wild pitch.
Marmaton Valley was able to make it closer with a run in the seventh, but Yates Center held on for the win in its season opener.
Gavin Dillow was the team’s winning pitcher after going three innings and allowing just one run on one hit with five strikeouts and no walks. The senior had remarkably good control with 27 of his 34 pitches being strikes.
The senior was also Yates Center’s top hitter. He went 4-for-4 with two runs scored.
Smith was the only Marmaton Valley hitter with multiple hits. The junior went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.
