Wildcat Baseball rebounds after loss to Iberia

By Editor | April 10, 2024 |

Photo by Shari Harris
Kendall Davis prepares to throw to first after beating the runner to second in this double play against Iberia.

By Coach Harv Antle

IBERIA 6, LICKING 2

LICKING, Mo. – The Licking Wildcats were defeated by the Iberia Rangers 6-2 on Friday night at Deer Lick Park. The loss was Licking’s first of the spring and left the Wildcats with a season record of 6-1.

The Rangers scored three runs in the opening inning and never trailed. Iberia outhit Licking eight to three and did not commit an error while the Wildcats were charged with two errors.

Tanner Patterson was the winning pitcher for Iberia. He threw a complete game and struck out eight.

Rusty Buckner started and took the loss for Licking. He was charged with four runs, three earned, on five hits and four walks over four innings.

Austin Stephens relieved for Licking in the fifth. His line included two innings pitched with two runs allowed on three hits and one walk. Jordan Ritz worked a scoreless seventh with two strikeouts for the Wildcats.

Kellar Davis and Cole McCloy scored once each for Licking. Silas Antle was 2-for-3 at the plate and Kannon Buckner went 1-for-3 to account for the Wildcats’ three hits.

LICKING 21, HERMANN 3

CUBA, Mo. – The Licking Wildcats bounced back on Saturday, following their first loss of the season on Friday, with a 21-3 win over the Hermann Bearcats at Cuba.

Silas Antle was the winning pitcher with relief from Jordan Ritz. Antle worked into the third while Ritz finished the game with one and two-thirds innings out of the bullpen.

The pair of hurlers received plenty of run support. Licking put up 21 runs on 12 hits. Karson Walker was 3-for-4 with four RBIs and Kale Cook recorded three hits and five runs-batted-in.

Rusty Buckner ripped a pair of hits and collected three RBIs, and Kellar Davis scored three runs as did Garrett Gorman. The win moved Licking’s record to 7-1.

LICKING 17, CUBA 0

CUBA, Mo. – Keyton Cook was dominant on the mound for Licking as the Wildcats shutout Cuba 17-0 on Saturday at Cuba.

Cook went the distance for the Licking win and allowed just one hit. The senior struck out nine and did not walk a batter.

Austin Stephens knocked in three runs for Licking to go with a 2-for-2 performance at the plate. Kellar Davis had a pair of hits and three runs scored; Logan Gorman doubled home a run while Karson Walker, Kale Cook, and Keyton Cook all drove in two runs.

The win was Licking’s second in a row. On the spring, the Wildcats improved to 8-1.