Despite being on the wrong end of a 21-5, 14-6 sweep in Thursday’s doubleheader against Uniontown, the Yates Center Wildcats had a few highlights to hang their hats on.
“The first game, we needed to wake up a little bit. We were lacking on routine plays, but hitting the ball,” said Lexi Estes, who enters her second year at the helm of the Wildcats. “That second game, I was proud of them. I think I have two seniors and two juniors that start. They’re a young team, but I’m seeing more cohesiveness.”
Trailing 8-0 in the fourth inning of the opener, sophomore third baseman Mylin Tidd put the Wildcats on the scoreboard with a two-RBI line drive. In the fifth inning, a home run by senior catcher Jaycie Randall and an RBI single by senior pitcher Avery Eakin staved off a Uniontown run-rule victory. Yates Center added another run in the sixth, but it was not enough to prevent an early stoppage.
“We showed improvement from the last game. We had some great hits,” Estes said. “We’re a great hitting team. It’s just getting the timing down right and executing those hits at the right time. It’s really encouraging.”
Tidd ended the opener with the team lead in RBIs with two while Eakin and Randall had one each. Eakin also tallied two strikeouts in her complete-game effort.
Although more contentious in the finale, the Wildcats played from behind for most of the game after trailing 6-0 by the bottom of the third inning.
A two-RBI single by Tidd put Yates Center on the scoreboard, then fourth inning singles by junior outfielder Lauren Schultz and sophomore first baseman Cayten Cummings, and a RBI groundout by Randall put three more runs on the board.
Although closing in, and having success in the batter’s box, the Wildcats often left runners on base at crucial times while Uniontown consistently manufactured runs.
A grounder by Cummings lit up the scoreboard for the final time in the sixth inning, but Uniontown’s defense stepped up and silenced Yates Center in the seventh. With the losses, Yates Center continues searching for its first win of 2025.
The Wildcats host Oswego for another doubleheader Monday. While disappointed with Thursday’s outcome, Coach Estes believes it’s not a lack of talent keeping the Wildcats winless. It’s team chemistry, which she believes improves every time the Wildcats take the field.
“If we get that team chemistry going, it’s going to bring us success, especially with these young girls,” Estes said. “I told them I was proud of them for their defense. We had girls making diving plays, good digs. I don’t think we struck out looking once. That’s something to be proud of. There was more cohesiveness in the second game, and it’s only up from here.”
