Wildcats fall in close game to Tonganoxie; record six home runs at Bonner

Louisburg senior Maverick Rockers was one of six Wildcats to hit a home run last Tuesday at Bonner Springs.

TONGANOXIE — The Louisburg baseball team traveled to Tonganoxie for a rare one-game outing Thursday and put together the starting pitching performance it was hoping to get.

Junior Corbin Hamman pitched a complete game for the Wildcats, gave up two earned runs and struck out nine batters. Unfortunately, errors got in the way of making it a winning evening as Louisburg fell in a close game, 5-4.

A pair of errors in the first inning led to two Tonganoxie runs and another mistake led to a run in the fifth, that proved to be the deciding factor.

“Tongie is a great team,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “I thought we gave them everything we had. Corbin threw extremely well on the mound. A couple costly errors ended up being the difference in the game. 

“We competed at the plate all night long and really kept pressure on Tongie throughout the game. It was great to see us battle for seven innings right up until the last pitch.”

Louisburg (3-6) got things going early with two runs in the first inning when Maverick Rockers singled home Kolby Kattau and Rockers later scored on a ground ball by Brandon Doles.

Tonganoxie tied it in the bottom of the first, but a Cade Driskell single in the third scored Brody McGreer and put the Wildcats back up in the top of the third.

Parker Hufferd made it a 4-2 game in the third with a single that scored Driskell. It stayed that way until the bottom of the fifth when the Chieftains scored three.

The Wildcats tried to rally in the seventh, and got a pair of base runners on, but couldn’t get the tying run to cross the plate.

Kattau, Rockers and McGreer each had a pair of hits to lead the Wildcat bats.

Louisburg will try and snap its two-game losing skid Tuesday when it travels to Ottawa for a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.

Home run barrage leads to split of Bonner Springs

BONNER SPRINGS — Conditions were set up for a home run derby of sorts Tuesday in Bonner Springs.

With the wind blowing out to left at more than 30 miles-per-hour, and with a left field that was just 291 feet down the line, Louisburg was more than happy to take advantage of the situation.

The Wildcats recorded five home runs in the opener on Tuesday, which led to a 23-5 victory over the Braves. Louisburg added another home run in the nightcap, but couldn’t get its offense going enough in a 15-2 setback.

“Guys were definitely wanting for a sweep against Bonner,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “Game 2 we came out a little flat and errors got to us. We swung it well in game two and hit balls hard just right at them. 

“Game 1 it was a wild game overall. With a shorter field, and the wind blowing out, it ended up helping us a lot. The guys kept a great approach at the plate and that turned into a lot of home runs.”

Mack Newell, Kolby Kattau, Corbin Hamman, Jackson Kush and Maverick Rockers all delivered a home run in the first game. Rockers also added a pair of doubles to his line and Kattau finished with a triple.

Cade Driskell and Newell also doubled in a game that featured 23 runs on 22 hits. 

In all Kattau, finished the opener 5-for-5 with the triple and home run to go along with 3 RBIs. Kush also had three hits with a team-high 5 RBIs.

Rockers, Doles and Newell each finished with three hits, while Rockers and Newell also drove home three runs.

Louisburg opened the game with five runs in the first, three in the second, six in the third and nine more in the fourth to complete the run-rule victory.

Kattau got the victory for Louisburg as he gave up just two earned runs and struck out four.

In the nightcap, Bonner Springs struck first with five runs in the first. The Wildcats tried to answer back when Driskell recorded the team’s sixth home run of the night on a 2-run shot, but it was all the offense the Wildcats could muster.

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