With April 1 signaling the last month of the regular season, Louisville began its final push for the postseason last week. The Wildcats went 2-3, with its two wins coming via forfeit by Noxubee County. Louisville dropped two contests to Kosciusko, and one to Starkville.
Louisville and Kosciusko tangled in Game 1 on Tuesday, with the Whippets earning a 17-5 run-rule-shortened win.
Eight strikeouts by Wildcat batters proved too much to overcome, as Kosciusko led 6-0 at the end of the first inning.
Jace Hudspeth paced all Louisville hitters with two knocks in three at-bats. Shemar Eiland, Roper Stoots and Takobe Johnson tallied singles. Dre Shumaker posted a team-high two runs.
The Wildcats got on the board in the bottom of the third when Hudspeth singled to score Shumaker and Eiland. In the bottom of the fourth, Johnson, Shumaker and Nicholas Jackson scored after a Kosciusko fielding error.
Louisville pitchers accounted for 11 walks against just one strikeout.
The Whippets picked up their second win against Louisville in as many days with their 8-2 win last Wednesday.
Wildcat hitters fared better in the batter’s box, as they combined for seven hits and just three strikeouts. Eiland and Deonte Yarbrough tallied two hits apiece, and Shumaker, Hudspeth and Ty Cooper ended with singles.
Eiland added two stolen bases, while Cooper chipped in with one.
Shumaker doubled in Eiland, and Hudspeth doubled in Shumaker in the top of the third to round out Louisville’s scoring.
Starkville nabbed wins of 14-7 and 6-4 against the Wildcats Saturday.
In Game 1 of the doubleheader, the Whippets and Yellowjackets each tallied 10 hits.
Eiland, Hudspeth and Yarbrough scratched out two hits apiece, with one of Yarbrough’s being a solo home run.
Orian Evans’ two RBIs were a team-high, as were Camden Sanders’ two stolen bases.
On the mound for the Wildcats, John Mark Wallace and Cooper tossed three innings apiece. Wallace allowed four hits, eight earned runs and seven walks. He struck out two Yellowjacket batters. Cooper allowed four hits, two earned runs and walked three. Cooper fanned one.
Evans scored via a Starkville error in the first inning. In the second, Eiland plated Sanders with a double, and Evans knocked in Cooper with a fielder’s choice RBI.
Evan scored Sanders with a single in the top of the fourth, and Yarbrough and Hudspeth scored after a Starkville error in the top of the fifth.
Yarbrough launched his solo homer in the top of the seventh.
Hudspeth’s two RBIs in Game 2 Saturday weren’t enough, as Starkville picked up a 6-4 win.
Eiland scored in the top of the first after a Starkville wild pitch.
Sanders scored in the top of the seventh on a bases-loaded walk. Cooper scored after a Yellowjacket fielding error, and Hudspeth knocked in Eiland.
Louisville (5-13) travels to Caledonia on Monday and Philadelphia on Tuesday before hosting Philadelphia on Thursday.
SOFTBALL
The Lady Wildcats played just one game last week, which resulted in a 26-8 loss at New Hope last Thursday.
"Jimia Jackson played a great game," Lady Wildcats coach Ron Swart said.
The Lady Wildcats have six games remaining on their regular-season schedule.
Louisville hosts Ethel on Monday before swapping a home-and-away tilt against Noxubee County on Tuesday and Thursday.
"We are one and 10 on the year," Swart said. "Things have been up and down. (We) play four or five great innings. We have the talent, we just have to play for the full seven."
