Wildcats extend winning streak with sweep of Wellsville

By Andy Brown
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Updated: April 9, 2024

***Louisburg junior Meade Rutherford earned the complete game victory in the opener Thursday against Wellsville.***

It was another day and another sweep for the Louisburg baseball team.

The Wildcats hosted Wellsville last Thursday for a doubleheader and cruised to a 14-1 and 10-2 victory over the Eagles at Lewis-Young Park.

Those victories improved the team’s winning streak to five straight games and the Wildcats are now 7-1 on the season. The hot start has seen their stock skyrocket as Louisburg is currently ranked No. 6 in Class 4A by the Kansas Baseball Coaches Association.

“The guys played well all night,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “We stayed focused throughout the doubleheader and it’s great to walk away with two wins.”

Pitching was a big part of the successful night for Louisburg and it started in the opener with Meade Rutherford. The Wildcat junior pitched a complete game and gave up just one earned run on three hits and struck out three.

Senior Declan Battle pitched five innings in the nightcap as he struck out eight batters and gave up just three hits. Christian Owens and Luke Schultz each pitched an inning and gave up a run.

“Meade and Declan threw really well for us,” Larson said. “They kept hitters off balance all night and got us back in to hit quickly.”

Louisburg struck early in the opener as it scored six runs in the first inning and then answered with an 8-run fourth to all but seal the win.

Sophomore Danny Napier led the Wildcat bats with two doubles and 3 RBIs, while senior Brody McGreer drove home four runs and also recorded two hits and a double.

Battle and Jackson Howard each added a pair of hits, while Jack Anderson finished with a double. Battle, Schultz, Howard, Anderson and Bristol Barbour each had an RBI in the win.

“We had some great team at bats throughout the night,” Larson said. “The guys saw the ball well and hit the ball hard. Usually good things happen when we do that.”

More good things happened in the second game. Louisburg had a 4-1 lead into the sixth inning, where it scored six runs in the frame to pull away.

Howard led Louisburg with two hits, a double and 4 RBIs. His bases loaded double in the sixth got the Wildcat offense off and running.

Schultz had two hits and 2 RBIs for the Wildcats, while Napier and Nathaniel Lamm each had two hits and a run batted in. Barbour also had two hits, including a double, while Battle and Anderson each had RBI base hits.