Wildcats pick up first win with split of Bonner Springs

Louisburg junior Madden Rutherford tags out a Bonner Springs runner Tuesday during the Wildcats’ game at Lewis-Young Park.

It has been a rough stretch to
start the season for the Louisburg baseball team.

The Wildcats have not been at full
strength since their opener and have had a difficult schedule to begin the
year. All that led to eight straight losses and Louisburg was looking for its
first win going into Tuesday’s doubleheader with Bonner Springs.

Louisburg is winless no more as
the Wildcats defeated the Braves 8-6 in the first game, and although they lost
the nightcap 11-1, it was good to get the monkey off their back.

“Getting the first win was big,” Louisburg coach Joel McGhee
said. “It was much needed. We’ve been down several players over the past week,
and finally had our most experienced guys back. Our younger players have
done a great job competing against the more experienced lineups of Baldwin,
Spring Hill and Wellsville over the past six games.”

One of those younger players was freshman Brandon Doles who came
up big for the Wildcats late in the first game. With the game tied in the
bottom of the fourth inning, Doles singled home senior Noah Larson to give
Louisburg a 7-6 lead.

Doles then came on in relief to get his first varsity win as he
pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings and gave up just one hit and struck out a
batter.

“Brandon has done an outstanding job this season,” McGhee said. “He
has shown quality stuff on the mound each time he has thrown and has a great
approach at the plate. He is patient and takes advantage of the opportunities
that he has had. He hasn’t given up many walks and challenges hitters to
put the ball in play. Brandon has been on a roll to start the season.”

Both teams opened the game with a run in the first inning, and
after Louisburg was down 2-1 in the bottom of the second, the Wildcats took the
lead with three runs in the frame.

Michael Rogers tied the game with an RBI single that scored
pinch runner Blue Caplinger and then Logan McClellan singled to score Rogers to
give the Wildcats the lead. Madden Rutherford then walked with the bases loaded
to put Louisburg up 4-2.

Louisburg (1-9) responded with two more in the third when
McClellan doubled to score Caplinger and Rogers scored on a wild pitch to give
the Wildcats a 6-3 advantage.

Bonner Springs tied the game at 6-all with three runs in the fourth, but Doles’ RBI single put Louisburg up one and then got an insurance run when Beckett Rasmussen scored on an error in the sixth.

“We did a great job battling in the game,” McGhee said. “We
combined efforts on the mound and had some great at-bats. Our hitters were
patient at the plate and worked counts to their advantage. We had some hard hit
balls that drove in runs when we needed them.”

Seniors Jakob Krause, Rasmussen and McClellan each had two hits
to lead the Wildcats and all three had a double. Rutherford and McClellan each
finished the day with 2 RBIs.

The nightcap didn’t go as well for the Wildcats as Bonner
Springs scored eight runs in the final two innings as the Braves turned a 3-1
game into an 11-1 run-rule win in the sixth inning.

Louisburg hurt itself defensively with six errors and the Braves
took advantage. Offensively, the Wildcats recorded just three hits on singles
from Rasmussen, Garrett Harding and Andrew Krause.

“In the second game we
had several errors to start the game that allowed Bonner to get an early lead,”
McGhee said. “We had opportunities throughout the game, but were unable to
capitalize. At one point we had bases loaded with no outs, and were unable to
score a run.

“The biggest impact on the game were the ‘freebies’ that we gave
up, extra bases on misplayed balls, walks, and errors that kept innings going.
Bonner did a great job taking advantage of our mistakes.”

Louisburg will return home today when it hosts Tonganoxie for
single game. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.