MORAN — Marmton Valley High’s Wildcat teams played five games this week. The baseball team went 3-2 while the softball team got off the snide in a league doubleheader with St. Paul Thursday.
Marmaton Valley’s Wildcat girls came close to a win Tuesday night at Howard against West Elk High’s Lady Patriots. The Lady Patriots won the single-game outing 21-20.
“We had a couple two-out mental errors that cost us five runs in two innings,” said Brenda Mills, MVHS softball coach. “Overall we hit better.”
Kailey Boyd started the Wildcats off with a home run in the first inning. Down 6-3 at the end of two innings, the Wildcats scored seven runs in the third.
They trailed 14-11 going into the sixth inning. MaRyiah Cavender tied the game up on a three-run home run in the top of the inning. Unfortunately, West Elk produced two runs in the sixth.
Back came the Wildcats with a six-run top of the seventh to go up 20-16. The Lady Patriots had last at bats and scored five runs to win by one.
Kaitlin Ensminger was the losing pitcher, giving up 13 hits and six walks. She struck out two.
Boyd also had a single in the game. Kacie Shadden hit a single and a triple. Kayla Beth singled three times. Ensminger, Tabitha Ford and Caysha Houk each had a base hit.
Then came Thursday’s Three Rivers League doubleheader with St. Paul. The Indians handed the Wildcat girls a 12-6 loss in the opener. Ensminger took the pitching loss, give up three hits and 13 walks with three strikeouts.
Boyd and Shadden each had two singles and a double. Destiny Jones and Beth each had a double and Shauna Knight tripled. Jocelyn Miller and Cavender had a single apiece.
A five-run third inning stoked the fires for Marmaton Valley and they held off St. Paul for a 7-6 victory at home. Boyd was the winning pitcher, allowing nine hits and issuing five walks.
Cavender had a single, a double and a triple while Boyd singled and hit another home run. Beth singled and doubled. Ensminger had a double while Shadden, Ford and Knight had a single apiece.
The Wildcat boys started the week with a sweep of a Three Rivers League doubleheader against rival Uniontown. They went to Howard and came out with a 9-7 win over West Elk on Tuesday.
Things didn’t work out for the Wildcats Thursday at home in a league twin bill with St. Paul. They lost 5-1 in the first game with Jimmy Frye on the mound, who gave up four hits and two walks and struck out eight.
Derrick Carr had three singles. Hitting a single each were Sage Hall, Taylor Lhuillier, Daylen Houk and Ryan Smith.
