Wildcats knock off Wolves

By Jason Avery

News-Times Staff

Derek Jobe turned in a superb performance on the mound, and El Dorado got just enough offense to top Lake Hamilton 4-2 in a 5A-6A District 6 showdown at the El Dorado-Union County Recreation Complex on Thursday.

Jobe went the distance with a five-hitter, walking one with five strikeouts.

Despite being held to four hits, the Wildcats (17-5, 6-1) took advantage of three errors and several wild pitches to manufacture single runs in the first, second, fourth and sixth to back Jobe's stellar outing.

Leighton Turbeville opened the first inning by reaching after his grounder to second was misplayed for an error.

The senior then took second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on another wild pitch with two outs to get the Wildcats on the scoreboard.

In the second, Noah Gaul worked Lake Hamilton starter Cole Plyler for a leadoff walk, and Christian Webb entered the game as a pinch runner.

With Brennan Smith at the plate, a wild pitch ricocheted off the backstop far enough to allow Webb to go to third.

The Wildcats cashed in moments later when Webb scored on Smith’s sacrifice fly to right to make it 2-0.

Early on, Jobe was in command.

He pitched around a one-out single to Weston Dobins in the second by getting Utah Aitken to hit into a 1-6-3 double play with Smith making a great scoop at first on a low throw to complete it.

Jobe also pitched around a infield single by Braden Qualls in the third, but he was at his best in the fourth.

Brayden Clark led off with a single and Tanner King reached on an error after hitting a grounder to third to put runners at first and second.

With Spencer Gracie batting, Jared Rhodes threw out Clark trying to advance to third on a pitch in the dirt.

Gracie later singled to left and a poor throw back to the infield allowed Gracie to advance to second.

With runners now at second and third and one out, the Wolves (4-12, 3-5), were in position to tie the game.

However, Jobe retired Dobins on a fly out to right that was too shallow for King to try to score on.

Jobe then got Aitken to ground out to shortstop to end the threat.

After pitching out of trouble in the fourth, the Wildcats used two errors to extend their lead in the bottom of the fourth.

Jobe led off the frame with a base hit to right, and the junior went to third on an errant pickoff throw.

Gaul then walked to put runners at the corners.

With Smith at the plate, Gaul attempted to steal to second base, and a defensive miscommunication on who would catch the throw allowed Jobe to score on a throwing error and Gaul to take third.

El Dorado later loaded the bases with two outs, but Plyler fanned Jacob Boshears to avoid further damage.

After being held in check by Jobe, the Wolves sprang to life in the sixth.

Payton Winston reached on an error after the throw to first on his grounder to shortstop was dropped.

A wild pitch sent Winston to second, and he scored moments later on Clark’s double to center.

Clark went to third on King’s ground out to short and scored on Gracie’s ground out to second base to bring the Wolves within a run.

However, the Wildcats picked up a big insurance run in the bottom of the sixth against Clark, who relieved Plyler to start the fifth.

Smith drew a leadoff walk and went to second on a wild pitch.

Shaun York advanced Smith to third with a sacrifice bunt, and the small ball approach paid off handsomely moments later, as Evan Chandler laid a bunt down the first-base line that Clark fielded, but his throw to nab Smith at the plate was late, giving the Wildcats a 4-2 lead.

Jobe finished off the Wolves by getting around a leadoff walk to Aitken by getting Qualls to line into a double play.

Clark went 2-for-3 with an RBI to pace the Wolves' attack.

Plyler allowed three hits and three runs over four innings of work to take the loss. He walked three, hit a batter and struck out five.

Chandler went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Wildcats, who host Hope this afternoon.

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