LA Wildcats chalk up 4 more wins

There were several things the Livingston Academy baseball team has been looking for this young season, and they got all of them last week. There was, with only one exception, good weather, the pitching continued to be extremely strong, hitting was very solid all week, and the error count was way down.

With each passing day, the spring weather seems to improve, and the Wildcats started off at home Monday under good conditions and collected a 4-0 shutout win over York. For the next three days, there was no activity other than a trip to Jackson County that included one game on Friday and two on Saturday, produced three good wins, 13-3 over Jackson County, 3-2 over Monroe, KY, and finished the weekend with a 10-0 whipping of Metcalfe, KY.

“It’s been a good start,” LA Coach Jamie Loftis pointed out. “Our defense and pitching have really been a key, and defensively, this might be the best defensive team I’ve had in my nine years here. Last week, I think we only committed four errors, and that will go a long way in winning any games, let alone four.”

And while the defense and mound play have been outstanding, last week alone the Cats produced 31 runs on 35 hits. On the mound, Ethan Westmoreland is 3-1, and Dawson Ledbetter has yet to give up an earned run.

“I know it’s early in the season, and we haven’t faced our toughest opposition yet, but a 12-3 start is a good way to start, and it lets the players know they are good enough to keep winning.

“This upcoming week will tell a lot as we host Stone Memorial on Monday and go to Stone on Tuesday. Smith County comes here on Thursday, and we know how good they are, they’re really good, then we finish off the week at York. “

Livingston started last week hosting York and finished with a 4-0 win. The Cats took a 2-0 lead in the first, added one in the second, and a final run in the fourth.

Zach Cotterman got the Wildcats rolling with a lead-off single in the bottom of the first. Carson Parrott followed with a single, and both advanced on a ground out from Tayshawn Hayes. Cotterman scored on a passed ball, and Parrott scored on a single by Dylan York.

Drayk Blankenship led off the second inning when he reached on an error. Junior Steele went in as a runner and scored on a double by Parrott. Drew Goolsby added the fourth run in the fourth, reaching on a single and scoring on a single by Cotterman.

Parrott was the winning pitcher, going six innings, giving up only two hits, and striking out 12.

The next time the Wildcats were in action was a cool Friday evening in the opening round of the Alex Cassetty Classic in Gainesboro. The Cats’ first opponent was hot Jackson County, and the visitors wasted no time in posting a solid 13-3 win.

Cotterman started with a walk, stole second, went to third on a bad throw, and scored on a dropped third strike. Two runs in the second led to a 3-3 tie, but in the top of the third, Livingston used a variety of ways to score, including a bunt, several singles, a couple hit-by-pitch runners, a pair of errors, a sacrifice fly, and a big double by Parrott to score 10 runs.

All games were held to 90 minutes. Corbin Bournes went the full three innings, holding the home team to 3 runs on 3 hits, while striking out 3 and walking 3.

On Saturday, Livingston played twice, both 90-minute games, and won both. The Cats started with Monroe, KY, and had to play their best game of the weekend to come away with a 3-2 win.

Monroe scored in the top of the first with a pair of walks and a hit batter, but Livingston came back in its portion of the inning with Hayes reaching on an error, went to second on an error and scored behind a double by York. Kentucky led by a lone run going to the top of the fourth when RP Campbell singled, went to second on a passed ball, and scored on a single by Goolsby.

A game-winning bunt from Cotterman sending Goolsby home, proved to be the margin of victory.

“We had to play at a top level in that game,” Coach Loftis remarked. “And I was glad to see we responded in a very positive way.”

In the tournament’s final game for the Wildcats, Metcalfe, KY, had nothing for Ethan Westmoreland as he posted his third win of the season, striking out 5, and only allowing one hit.

Offensively, Livingston’s Junior Steele, running for Goolsby, scored on a single by Parrott to get LA on the board in the second inning, then LA erupted for six runs in the third. York opened with a single, then stole second and scored on a single by Campbell. Campbell stole second, went to third on a ground out by Ethan Hooks, and scored on a throwing error.

Cotterman then singled as did Goolsby, and both came home on a towering home run by Parrott.

With the four wins on the weekend, Livingston will take its 12-3 record into tough action this week.