Louisburg shortstop Maverick Rockers puts a tag on an Atchison player Tuesday during the Class 4A regional tournament at Atchison High School.

ATCHISON — The regional tournament for Louisburg baseball started out with a bang.

The end was about ready to be another firework-type explosion, only to find out it was a dud.

The No. 15 Wildcats opened the Class 4A regional tournament with a 10-0 victory over No. 2 Atchison and found themselves in the championship game against No. 7 Paola.

Louisburg put together a rally late against the Panthers as it was down two runs, but the game was officially called in the seventh inning with two runners on and one out, due to inclement weather.

Paola was awarded the 3-1 victory at Amelia Earhart Stadium in Atchison and the Panthers earned the state tournament berth.

Since five innings had been played, it had became an official game and the Wildcats weren’t able to see it all the way through.

It also meant the final game for Louisburg seniors Maverick Rockers, Brandon Doles, Sam Hastings, Kolby Kattau and George Reichart. 

“I hate that this is how these seniors are going out,” Larson said. “They had their sophomore year taken away due to Covid and then their final chance to try for a win together taken away, too. They worked their tails off for this program for four years to get to that position to have a chance to win a game to go to state.

“They got into the position and then the opportunity was taken from them. Couldn’t be more proud of the work they put in and how they always did things the right way on the field.”

The Wildcats (8-14) had a big challenge on their hands as they had to go up against Paola ace Caden Marcum. The Panther senior, who has signed to play baseball at the University of Tennessee, struck out 11 Wildcats over six innings and gave up just one run.

However, Marcum was at his pitch-count limit and couldn’t pitch the seventh, and final inning. Paola went to its bench and the Wildcats were able to take advantage.

“We had a plan to try to work the count and not help Marcum on the mound while we were at the plate,” Larson said. “The guys did it really well and got to the bullpen in the top of the seventh. We may have only managed one run, but we had some of the best at bats we’ve had all year. Guys were locked in all night and I can’t express enough how proud I am of them for the way they showed up in this regional.” 

After an out to begin the inning, sophomore Brody McGreer singled and senior Kolby Kattau worked a walk to put runners at first and second with one out. The heart of the Louisburg order was coming up next.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, lightning got too close to the complex that forced a delay, which eventually turned into an official game.

“The guys had no idea that would be the last time they touched the field together,” Larson said. “We were ready to come back and finish up at midnight if we had to. When I told them, everyone seemed to be in shock that they would let it end this way. I think for the most part all of us still are.”

Had the Wildcats taken the lead, their starting pitcher would have gone back out for the bottom the seventh.

Junior Corbin Hamman had his best outing of the season as he gave up just three runs on five hits and struck out nine. A pair of solo home runs by Dalton Picek and Marcum turned out to be the difference in the game.

“Corbin threw his best game of the season and did it at the perfect time,” Larson said. “He filled up the strike zone all game and competed his butt off. Minus only 2 pitches he kept it a 1-1 game for 6 innings. 

“Had we taken the lead in the seventh, Corbin was ready to go in the bottom half. I wouldn’t have been able to take the ball away from him with how great he was pitching all night.”

The Wildcats opened the tournament against Atchison and got out to a fast start and never looked back.

Louisburg scored eight runs in the first inning and added two more in the third to complete the run-rule victory.

Doles led the Wildcat offense with four hits, including a double and a run driven in. Mack Newell and Kattau each finished with a pair of RBIs, while McGreer and Rockers also had two hits.

Declan Battle, Jackson Howard, Jackson Kush and Hamman also had an RBI in the opener.

Newell started the game for Louisburg and went the distance for the Wildcats. He pitched five innings, gave up just two hits and struck out 10 Atchison batters.

“Mack came out and threw very well,” Larson said. “I was extremely proud of how he pitched. He worked ahead in the count all game which he had struggled with earlier in the season. That was great to see. That hot start at the plate helped everyone. We were able to relax and play our game.” 

As the Louisburg baseball team walked off the Amelia Earhart Field and headed toward its bus Tuesday at Atchison High School, the Wildcats had no idea their season was about ready to come to a close.

Louisburg, the No. 15 seed, was trying to knock off No. 7 Paola to earn a berth in the state tournament after defeating No. 2 Atchison, 10-0, in the Class 4A regional semifinal.

The Wildcats were batting in the top of the seventh and had two runners on, with one out and down 3-1 in the championship game. Then the lightning came.

Thirty minute delay, they said.

Then with every lightning strike and clap of thunder, they started the 30 minute delay over. I think most of us that have attended enough sporting events have been through these types of delays before.

You either wait the storm out or suspend the game if the storm is too bad. That’s how these things usually work out.

During the regular season, games that have completed five innings, and are called, are considered official games. 

But that same rule can’t be for the postseason too…can it?

Short answer — Yes.

With more raining moving in, the umpires were forced to call the game, thus giving Paola the 3-1 victory since five innings were played. 

Regional officials contacted the Kansas High School Activities Association to see what their options were. Could they resume the game, or just suspend it to the next day?

KSHSAA informed the Atchison activities director that the game cannot be suspended and that it was officially a completed contest and would revert back to the previous completed inning, which was the sixth.

It was the last, and worst thing Louisburg head coach Kade Larson expected to hear following the delay.

“When I first found out I was absolutely gutted for the guys who worked so hard all year long for the opportunity to try to win a game in the seventh to go to state,” Larson said. “I was not aware this was a postseason rule to be completely honest. My guys competed their butts off all night. We always talk about giving ourselves a chance in the seventh inning and we did just that.”

The Wildcats had to work hard to get that chance in the seventh.

Louisburg had to go up against Paola ace Caden Marcum, who is a fantastic talent that has signed with the University of Tennessee. Marcum baffled the Wildcat hitters as he held them to just one run and struck out 11 batters.

However, Marcum had reached his pitch count limit after the sixth and the Wildcats faced off with a different Paola pitcher. 

After a groundout to begin the seventh, the Wildcats got a single and worked a walk to get two runners on base. The heart of their order was coming up.

“We got to their bullpen and had all of the momentum,” Larson said. “I never would have dreamed they wouldn’t finish this game. We had the exact guys that we wanted to in that situation.”

What would have happened? No one will ever know, but that is the real problem here. The student athletes were not given the chance that every other team in the state had — an opportunity to play a full seven innings.

In Louisburg’s case, it meant an opportunity to advance to the state tournament — something they had been working since March to obtain.

Onlookers from different programs also voiced their displeasure on social media after they heard the news.

Lightning had littered the sky starting in the fourth inning and eventually began to get closer. With one out in the seventh, it had gotten too close and both teams went to their busses — what turned out to be for good.

Just like that the season was over, but even more heartbreaking, seniors Brandon Doles, Maverick Rockers, Kolby Kattau, Sam Hastings and George Reichart saw their high school careers come to a close — all thanks to Mother Nature and an outdated rule by KSHSAA.

There is almost 10 days before the start of the state tournament and the forecast is sunny and beautiful the rest of this week. The game could have easily been suspended and played at Paola today or tomorrow. 

The players deserve the finality of it all and should not have to think about, what if.

Those seniors already had to go through that ‘what if’ moment two years ago when their season was cancelled due to COVID-19. 

“The guys had no idea that would be the last time they touched the field together,” Larson said. “We were ready to come back and finish up at midnight if we had to. When I told them, everyone seemed to be in shock that they would let it end this way. I think for the most part all of us still are.”

The problem seems like a simple fix — play the game and let the kids decide who wins — not Mother Nature.

The rule makes sense during the regular season when it is hard to make up games — not for postseason play. The kids deserve better and there are people that let them down. 

Sometimes, even in the postseason, there might not be an opportunity to suspend or postpone due to time constraints or field availability. Neither of those were the case here.

“The game could’ve been over the next pitch on a ground ball double play, it could’ve gone our way, or could’ve went Paola’s way later,” Larson said. “But we’ll never know…”

That is the unnecessary gut punch of it all.

Louisburg junior Mack Newell makes a pitch last Tuesday at Paola. The Wildcats lost both games to the Panthers, and on Thursday, lost two at home to Piper.

The Louisburg baseball team had hoped to gain a little momentum in its final week of the regular season.

The Wildcats had doubleheaders against Paola and Piper to end the season, but the Wildcats couldn’t gain much traction.

Last Tuesday, Louisburg fell to Paola 10-0 and 12-6 and then hosted Piper on Thursday in its regular season finale. The Wildcats had the same result as they lost to the Pirates, 12-9 and 9-2.

The losses to Piper were a tough one, especially in the first game. Piper scored four runs in the final inning that broke open a tie game and the Wildcats weren’t able to recover.

Piper opened the contest with four unanswered runs, but the Wildcats struck for four in the bottom of the third to tie it up. 

Sophomore Jackson Howard delivered the big hit as he doubled with the bases loaded to make it a 4-3 game. Howard later scored on a passed ball to even the score.

The Wildcats answered with a run in the fourth and fifth inning to take the lead, but Piper scored four in the top of the sixth. Louisburg answered with two in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game again, but Piper’s 4-run seventh was too much to overcome.

“I thought we played well minus a few mistakes,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “The guys never gave up and we had our opportunities, but we just couldn’t finish it. In game one we really swung it well. I liked seeing our guys have a great approach and find a way to get runs on the board. We got down 4-0 but we never stopped competing and finding ways to get runs on the board. Piper swung the bats really well too. We struggled keeping them off the scoreboard all night.”

Louisburg (7-13) put together a 14-hit performance, that included a 3-hit outing from sophomore Declan Battle. In all, the Wildcats had six extra base hits, including doubles from Howard, Battle, Jackson Kush, Kolby Kattau and Brody McGreer. Kattau also finished with a triple.

Piper never gave the Wildcats a chance to get in it in the nightcap as the Pirates jumped out to a 8-2 lead in the fourth inning and never looked back.

Junior Corbin Hamman and Kattau each finished with a triple, while Battle and senior Brandon Doles each drove in a run.

Against Paola, the Wildcats went up against the Frontier League’s top pitcher in Caden Marcum. The Paola senior gave up just two hits and struck out 14 batters to shutout Louisburg.

The Wildcats had a better chance at winning the nightcap and the game was tied at 6-all late, but the Panthers scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull away.

Senior Maverick Rockers led the Wildcat offense with three hits, including a double. Junior Mack Newell also had a pair of hits, including a solo home run.

Howard added an RBI double, while Hamman finished with two hits and a run driven in.

“Definitely disappointed in how game 2 turned out,” Larson said. “We had some very untimely mistakes that didn’t help us down the stretch. Marcum threw really well and kept us off balance the all game.”

Now the Wildcats will try and erase what happened last week and focus on the postseason. Louisburg is the No. 15 seed and will travel to No. 2 Atchison today to compete in the Class 4A regional semifinal.

It is scheduled to start at approximately 4 p.m. with the championship game to follow after.

“I’m excited to get regionals going,” Larson said. “We definitely wish we were a higher seed, but we can throw the records out and just go try to win one game at a time. We’ve started figuring things out at the plate and I like our chances if we can play a clean game in the field.”

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week seven of the spring sports season, sponsored by IronHorse Family and Cosmetic Dentistry.

KOLBY KATTAU, SENIOR, BASEBALL

Louisburg senior Kolby Kattau helped the Wildcat baseball team to a memorable Senior Night victory over Eudora last week. Kattau finished with three hits and two doubles in the 5-3 victory over the Cardinals and also added an RBI and two runs scored to his line. Kattau also picked up the win as the team’s starting pitcher as he went 5.1 innings, gave up one earned run and struck out four.

On the season, Kattau leads the Wildcats with a .509 batting average and a team-high 29 hits — including six doubles, three triples and a home run. As a starting pitcher, he has three of the team’s seven wins on the season to go along with 25 strikeouts.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the spring season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous Winners

Week 1: Lexi Hampton

Week 2: Sabra Brueggen

Week 3: Emma Lohse

Week 4: Nathan Vincent

Week 5: Mia Wilson

Week 6: Reese Johnson

Louisburg senior Kolby Kattau pitched five innings and recorded a pair of doubles in the Wildcats’ 5-3 victory over Eudora on Tuesday at Lewis-Young Park.

Senior Night is always a special game on every team’s schedule, but Kolby Kattau and Brandon Doles made sure it was a memorable one for the Louisburg baseball team.

The two Wildcat seniors combined for four doubles, five hits, 3 RBIs – and between the two — pitched a complete game in Louisburg’s 5-3 victory over Eudora on Tuesday at Lewis-Young Park.

“I thought the guys played extremely well,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “We hit the ball well and found a way to win. A few untimely errors led to a couple runs, but overall we got the job done and we will clean up the small stuff for next game. 

“Brandon and Kolby were huge for us. Both hit the ball hard and got us going and both were really locked in on the mound.”

Doles and Kattau, along with seniors Maverick Rockers, George Reichart and Sam Hastings, were honored with their parents prior to the contest. It is a group that Larson has been impressed with since they first got into high school.

“These seniors have really set the foundation for this team moving forward,” Larson said. “They have done really well getting the freshman involved and making sure they do things the right way. They will be greatly missed.”

Kattau started the game for the Wildcats and went 5-plus innings, gave up one earned run and struckout four to get the win. Doles nailed down the save as he pitched an inning and two-thirds and gave up just one hit.

At the plate, both did damage as Kattau finished with three hits, two doubles and an RBI. Doles added a pair of doubles and 2 RBIs.

Rockers added the other RBI, while Corbin Hamman, Brody McGreer and Jackson Howard also tallied hits on the night.

The game was tied at 1-all going into third inning, but Louisburg struck for two runs. Rockers hit a sacrifice fly to score Cade Driskell and then Doles doubled home Kattau to make it a 3-1 game.

The Wildcats (7-9) added a run in the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, Parker Hufferd scored on a single by Kattau, and then in the fifth, Hamman singled and allowed Doles to score on a Eudora error.

Eudora added a pair of runs in the seventh inning, but Doles closed the door on the win.

Louisburg now enters the final week of the regular season as the Wildcats travel to Paola on Tuesday for a doubleheader. On Thursday, the Wildcats will host Piper for a doubleheader in the regular season finale.

“The next two doubleheaders are really important to us,” Larson said. “Paola is always a big game and with Piper being right before regionals start, it will be a big game as well. Both teams are solid and I like that going into regionals we are playing some good competition. I hope we can use this as a springboard into the playoffs to get going on the right track and play our best baseball to end the season.”

Louisburg catcher Jackson Howard tags out an Ottawa runner at the plate Friday during a make-up game in Ottawa.

OTTAWA — Reeling after a sweep just the day before, the Louisburg baseball team tried to get back on the winning track Friday in a make-up game against Ottawa.

It didn’t look good at first as the Wildcats trailed by two runs going into the fifth inning. From there, Louisburg got big hits and took advantage of a couple Ottawa miscues.

The Wildcats scored 12 runs in the final three innings and came away with a 14-6 victory over the Cyclones at Orlis Cox Park in Ottawa.

“Coming back to beat Ottawa after dropping two close ones to Anderson County was huge for us,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “Both teams are solid and we kept competing and it paid off against Ottawa. Our offense kept the pressure on Ottawa all night. They made some mistakes and we capitalized on them. We swung the bats well and our defense did enough to hold on for the win.”

Brandon Doles got things started for the Wildcats (6-9) as he hit a solo home run in the first inning to give Louisburg the lead — albeit it a brief one.

Ottawa went on to score four unanswered runs and the Cyclones held a 4-2 lead going into the the fifth inning.

It was there that the Wildcats scored four runs in the inning. Brody McGreer got the scoring started when he doubled home Doles.

Junior Corbin Hamman later scored on a wild pitch and McGreer scored on an Ottawa throwing error. Sophomore Jackson Howard would later score after a dropped third strike on Mack Newell.

Ottawa tied it up at 6-all in its half of the fifth, but the Wildcats responded with three more in the sixth. Kolby Kattau scored on a Maverick Rockers single, while Howard had big single that drove home Rockers and Doles.

In the seventh, the Wildcats widened its lead even more when Declan Battle scored on a wild pitch and Hamman singled to score Jackson Kush and Kattau. Doles would go on to score on a passed ball and Hamman came home on an Ottawa throwing error.

Rockers led the Wildcat bats with three hits, while Doles had two hits, two walks and scored four times. Howard also had two hits and three runs scored.

“Doles and Maverick really led us all night at the plate,” Larson said. “Both brought a huge spark for us that everyone else fed off of. Howard came up big for us as well with a two-out 2 RBI hit. Once that happened it seemed like the guys really locked in and our defense stepped up from there on.”

Newell started the game for the Wildcats and got the win after going five innings, while Doles came in for the final two innings to get the save.

Louisburg will try for back-to-back wins today when the Wildcats host Eudora (3-14) for Senior Night.

Wildcats drop a pair to Anderson County

GARNETT — Louisburg went up against one of the top teams in Class 3A on Thursday when the Wildcats traveled to Anderson County for a doubleheader.

Although the Wildcats hung tough, they left Garnett without a win. Louisburg fell to Anderson County 7-4 in game one and lost a close 6-5 contest in the nightcap.

The Wildcats went up against Anderson County ace Derek Rockers in the opener. Rockers gave up four runs on seven hits to the Wildcats, but struck out 11 batters in the process.

“Derek Rockers is a really great pitcher and we kept pressure on him the whole first game,” Larson said. “We just had a few too many mistakes to push past and get the win.”

Declan Battle led the Wildcat offense with three hits, including a double and an RBI. Doles also finished with two hits, a double and a run driven in. Maverick Rockers and Jackson Kush brought home the other Wildcat runs.

In the nightcap, the Wildcats used a 3-run fifth inning to take a 6-5 lead over the Bulldogs. However, Anderson County scored a run in the bottom of the fifth and seventh innings to escape with a win.

“In game 2 we had guys on base all night,” Larson said, “We struggled getting them home from scoring position. Anderson County was opportunistic and scored at the right time. We will clean up the situational hitting and learn from that game moving forward.”

Kolby Kattau had a big game at the plate with three hits, including a pair of doubles. Junior Cade Driskell had three runs driven in to lead the Wildcats and finished the game with two hits.

Kush and Brody McGreer also had RBI hits for Louisburg.

Corbin Hamman started the game for Louisburg and gave up three earned runs on seven hits and struck out seven in five innings.

Louisburg senior Kolby Kattau recorded eight hits Thursday in the Wildcats’ sweep on the road over Osawatomie.

OSAWATOMIE — Runs certainly weren’t a problem for the Louisburg baseball team Thursday in Osawatomie.

The Wildcat bats caught fire as they combined to score 35 runs on 31 hits and rolled to a pair of 19-7 and 16-2 victories at Karl E. Cole Sports Complex. 

It was a pair of wins that came at the right time as Louisburg came in with a 3-game losing streak. The Wildcats improved their record to 5-7 on the season.

“Those were some much needed wins,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “With a loaded east side of the state in 4A, every win is needed and playing in the Frontier League you know it will be a battle every night. So to come out against Osawatomie and take care of business was great to see.”

Senior Kolby Kattau and junior Jackson Kush provided a bulk of the offensive spark for the Wildcats as the two players combined for 15 hits. 

Kattau had eight hits on the night, including a double, a triple and 3 RBIs from the leadoff spot. Kush did his damage at the bottom of the lineup with seven hits, a double and 4 RBIs.

“Overall we played well and were locked in from the first pitch,” Larson said. “Kolby and Jackson were seeing the ball really well all night. Having 15 hits between the two of them really gave our offense a much needed spark.”

Louisburg jumped out to an 8-1 lead early in the opener and finished the game off with an 8-run fifth inning to seal the run-rule victory.

Wildcat junior Corbin Hamman finished the game with 4 RBIs, while sophomore Declan Battle also had a pair of hits and 2 RBIs. Brandon Doles, Maverick Rockers, Sam Hastings and Mack Newell also drove home runs.

Hamman started the game for the Wildcats and gave up one run in three innings and struck out five. Hastings pitched the final two innings of relief.

That solid pitching carried over into the second game. Newell started and went four innings and gave up two runs and struck out five. Doles pitched the final three innings of relief and recorded six strikeouts.

“Corbin, Sam, Mack and Brandon all threw really well,” Larson said. “It was great to see them do well on the mound and shut the door on Osawatomie once we got the lead.”

Kush had four hits and three runs driven in to lead the Wildcat bats. Rockers also added a pair of doubles and had 3 RBIs.

Sophomore Brody McGreer also drove home three runs. Doles, Newell, Battle and Wyatt Holland also had RBIs.

With the game tied at 2-2, Louisburg scored three runs in the third and used a 7-run seventh inning to put the game away.

The Wildcats will try to build on their winning streak Thursday when they travel to Anderson County for a doubleheader, before going to Ottawa on Friday for a makeup contest. 

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.

Louisburg sophomore Brody McGreer slides safely into home Thursday during the Wildcats’ doubleheader with Wellsville at Lewis-Young Park.

As frustrating as the loss was Thursday in its opener against Wellsville, the Louisburg baseball team seemed to take out all the aggression it had on the Eagles in the nightcap.

Louisburg got to Wellsville’s pitching early and often as the Wildcats homered twice in their 19-4 victory over the Eagles at Lewis-Young Park.

Following a a tough 4-3 setback in the first game, the Wildcats got the revenge they were looking for in the second game of the doubleheader.

The Wildcats also had to battle the brutal elements as both games were played in windy, cold conditions. 

“It was great to see us bounce back after the game 1 loss,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “We did really well getting guys in that were in scoring position. The conditions weren’t great. I thought we played well given the conditions. It took a while to get our bats going in game one, but we grounded into some untimely double plays that really hurt us in that game.”

Louisburg got its bats going with a run in the first inning when junior Corbin Hamman doubled home senior Maverick Rockers. 

The Wildcats (2-4) responded with four more runs in the second, and after Wellsville scored three in the third, Louisburg came back with 12 runs in the bottom of the frame.

Senior Brandon Doles ended the run-rule victory in the fourth inning with a 2-run home run to give the Wildcats their second win of the season. Rockers recorded a 2-run home run of his own in the second inning.

In all, senior Kolby Kattau and Hamman each led the way with three hits, including two doubles from Hamman and 3 RBIs.

“Mav, Doles and Hamman all swung it really well,” Larson said. “They each came up with some great hits with runners on base to get some much needed momentum. That big third inning was great to see. Everyone contributed and made the game a ton of fun despite the conditions.”

Rockers, Jackson Howard and Mack Newell each finished with a pair of hits and Newell finished with a team-high 4 RBIs. Brody McGreer, Kattau and Doles each had 2 RBIs in the game.

Kattau started the game for Louisburg and pitched all four innings and gave up three earned runs to go along with six strikeouts.

The Wildcats also got strong efforts on the mound in the opener as Hamman pitched three innings and gave up two earned runs and struck out three. Rockers threw the final four innings and gave up no earned runs and had three strikeouts. 

“All three pitchers threw really well,” Larson said. “They all competed and gave us a chance to win both games.”

Doles had another big offensive output in the first game as he finished with two doubles and drove home all three of the Wildcats’ runs. McGreer also had a pair of hits, while Battle and Jackson Kush both recorded a single.

The Wildcats were down 4-1 in the bottom of the seventh when Doles doubled home Battle and Rockers, but couldn’t get the tying run home.

Louisburg is back in action tonight when the Wildcats travel to Bonner Springs. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.

Louisburg junior Mack Newell pitched the Wildcats to a 6-3 victory Tuesday over Spring Hill in the second game of the doubleheader at Lewis-Young Park

The first three games haven’t exactly gone like the Louisburg baseball team would have hoped.

The Wildcats were outscored by 22 runs in those three losses and they needed something positive to happen this early in the season. 

Louisburg’s second game against Spring Hill on Tuesday night gave the Wildcats the spark they were hoping for to get things turned around.

Down a run in the fifth inning, the Wildcats answered with four runs and they took advantage of two Spring Hill errors. When it was all said and done, they came away with a 6-3 victory over the Broncos in the second game of the doubleheader at Lewis-Young Park.

It was a refreshing ending after losing to the Broncos, 13-1, in the opener.

“Getting that second win against Spring Hill was huge for us,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “Bouncing back after losing the first game was really great to see.”

Junior Mack Newell kept the Wildcats in the game as he pitched five inning and gave up just the three runs on five hits and struck out four.

Senior Brandon Doles came in for relief and pitched two scoreless innings to get the save, and preserved the victory for Louisburg.

“Mack pitched really well for us in game two,” Larson said. “He did a great job keeping hitters off balance and working ahead.”

Sophomore Declan Battle got the Wildcats going early as he led off the game with a home run to left field to give Louisburg an early lead.

The Wildcats (1-3) got another extra base hit when Cade Driskell doubled home Maverick Rockers to give them a 2-run advantage.

Spring Hill eventually took a 3-2 lead with two runs in the third and another in the fourth, but the Wildcats put the pressure on the Broncos in the fifth.

Rockers opened the fifth with a single, and with two outs, Driskell reached on an error and allowed Rockers to score to tie the game. Brody McGreer followed with a walk and Jackson Howard was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Newell reached on another Spring Hill error, which allowed both Driskell and McGree to score. Junior Jackson Kush then singled to right field to score Howard and gave the Wildcats a 3-run adavntage.

“Putting pressure on Spring Hill led to that big inning in the fifth,” Larson said. “Finding ways on base and making them pay for a few mistakes ended up really helping us in the end. The guys did a great job of having team at-bats to keep the pressure on them. Once we got the lead our defense took over and did a great job keeping them off the scoreboard.”

Rockers led the Wildcats with a pair of hits offensively and finished with a team-high four hits between the two contests.

The first game was difficult for the Wildcats as it was tied at 1-all going into the fifth inning. From there, Spring Hill scored two in the fifth, two in the sixth and eight in the seventh to pull away.

Parker Hufferd and Rockers each had a double in the contest and Newell had the team’s lone RBI.

Louisburg will try and keep its winning ways going today when it hosts Wellsville for a doubleheader at Lewis-Young Park. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.