YATES CENTER HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
YATES CENTER – The Yates Center High School baseball team picked up its first win of the spring season last week, but came up short in three other contests.
The Wildcats won the second game of a doubleheader Monday (April 3) at St. Paul, squeezing out an exciting 4-3 win over the Indians. St. Paul won the opener, 13-7.
Yates Center also hosted a baseball twinbill Thursday against Jayhawk-Linn, but the Jayhawks swept the pair handily, winning 22-1 and 16-1.
"I know we are better than we have played so far this season,” commended YCHS head coach Jarrod McVey. "And I will take full responsibility for not having them prepared good enough. But we will continue to work hard every single day to be better players and teammates.
“Still, I have seen glimpses of our potential this season and can't wait for the boys to figure it out and put it all together," McVey added.
Yates Center was scheduled to return to the field on Monday, April 10, hosting Southeast-Cherokee.
YC vs. St. Paul
Trailing 3-2 in the seventh inning of the nightcap, Yates Center rallied for two runs in the top of the inning and held on for a dramatic 4-3 win, the Wildcats’ first victory of the season.
Tristan Ballin led off the inning with a line drive single to centerfield, and scored to tie the game when Blake Morrison reached on a error. After Emmit George, Emmett Brittian laid down a great bunt to score Morrison with what proved to be the winning run.
Yates Center got on the board first in the top of the second inning on a single by Jacob Meigs, a walk by William Stackhouse, and an RBI ground out by Ballin which scored Meigs. But the Indians came back with three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-1 lead. In the top of the sixth Jayston Rice walked and later scored on a passed ball to cut the lead to 3-2.
Morrison, Stackhouse and Rice all pitched in relief of Canon Cavender, and combined to blank St. Paul over the last five innings.
"I was extremely happy with the boys,” McVey noted. “They kept us in the game and then found a way to battle back for our first victory."
St. Paul won the opener 13-7 in a see-saw affair. The Indians jumped out to an 8-2 lead, but the Wildcats put a five-spot on the board in the top of the fifth.
Meigs ripped an RBI single to center to score George. Cavender added a double. Next came the highlight of the inning, as Jayston Rice pounded a three-run homer over the leftfield fence, cutting the lead to 8-6. Singles by Brittain and Rice led to another run, cutting the deficit to one, but St. Paul regrouped to score five runs over the next two innings to secure the victory.
Stackhouse and Morrison each laced two hits to pace the Wildcats.
YC vs. Jayhawk-Linn
Thursday’s doubleheader was all Jayhawk-Linn, as the Jayhawks rolled to a 16-1 victory, then followed it up with a 22-1 triumph in Game Two.
In the opener, the Wildcats found themselves down 11-0 going into to the bottom of the third inning before Cavender doubled to score Meigs. That would be the lone run the Wildcats would plate as Jayhawk-Linn went on to win 16-1.
In the nightcap, JLHS scored seven runs before Yates Center got to bat. The ’Cats managed one run in the bottom of the frame. George singled and later scored on a passed ball. Jayhawk went on to win 22-1.
"Our pitching has not been where it needs to be, especially with control,” McVey noted. “And we also need to do a better job on all the little things – like knowing the situation, hitting the cut-off man, good baserunning – I mean all the basics … then you won't have much success.
“But like I said, I have seen glimpses of our potential and can't wait for the boys to figure it out and put it all together.”
Yates Center managed just five total hits in the twinbill, two by George and one each by Meigs, Cavender and Morrison.