YATES CENTER — The Yates Center High baseball team took a couple of sluggish losses in their season opener against Northeast on Monday.
The Wildcats (0-2) allowed their pitching to get the best of them in a 19-5 loss in game one. Northeast then continued their offensive stomping and cruised to a 24-6 win over the Wildcats in game two.
Game one
The Vikings opened up the game by scoring two runs in the first with the Wildcats responding with three runs. Northeast then scored one more run in the second, two runs in the fourth, five in the fifth and nine in the sixth inning.
Jacob Meigs started at pitcher for Yates Center, lasting 3.1 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits and struck out two Northeast batters. Jayston Rice came on in relief, pitching the next 1.2 frames and served up another five runs on three hits.
“Both games were competitive earlier,” said Yates Center head coach Jarrod McVey. “We showed a few signs of the hard work we have been doing and I was proud of the boys for battling, but unfortunately we just didn’t execute a lot of things well. We will continue to work hard to get better day in and day out as a team.”
Cannon Cavender and Rice each drove in a team-high two runs for Yates Center. Cavender led at the plate after collecting two hits and scoring three runs.
Game two
It didn’t get any prettier for the Wildcats in the second game. Northeast scored in every inning, including a nine-run fourth inning, for a 24-6 victory over the Wildcats.
Cavender started on the mound and allowed five runs through 1.1 innings before Emmitt Brittain allowed six runs to score through 1.1 innings. Blake Morrison took the ball in the middle of the second inning and served up nine runs on four hits to Northeast.
The Wildcats were led at the plate by Emmit George’s three RBIs and two hits. Miegs also had good at bats and drove in two runs while knocking one hit.
Yates Center travels to Pleasanton on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
