Wildcat baseball off to roaring 4-1 season

Graeson Lyons throws another winner for the Mount Vernon Wildcats. Photo by Garry Beeson

Special to the News

The Mount Vernon baseball Wildcats have whittled out an early-season 4-1 record. Recent game summaries are as follows.

Wildcats vs Gallatin County (IL)--Backed by the strong arm of Luke Weintraut, the Wildcats hit their way to victory over the Hawks. Easton Hall had four hits, Levi Embrey drove in four, and Jackson Meinschein and Greason Lyons each had three hits. In total, the Wildcats pounded out 18 hits in the win. Luke Weintraut earned the win for the Wildcats, striking out nine, giving up only one hit, and throwing five complete innings. the final score in the game was 14-0.

Wildcats beat Evansville Christian School--Again it was good pitching, but this time behind the arm of freshman Klayton Hamilton. The starting pitcher surrendered only one hit and no runs over four innings, striking out six and walking one. Bourne threw one inning of shutout ball in relief. The hurler allowed zero hits, striking out three.

The Wildcats got on the board in the bottom of the second inning after Meinschein doubled to right field, and Hamilton singled to right field, each scoring one run. The Cats broke it open, thanks to nine runs in the third inning. Logan Clowers singled, scoring one run; Bryce Bourne doubled, scoring two runs; Meinschein singled, scoring one run; Hall doubled, scoring three runs; Weintraut tripled, scoring one run; and a passed ball scored one run. In total, the Wildcats tallied 11 hits in the game.

Meinschein, Weintraut, and Hamilton each collected two hits. Meinschein and Bourne each drove in two runs. The final score was 11-0.

Then on Thursday, April 9, the Wildcats defeated the Boonville Pioneers 5-3 to move to 4-1 on the season.

The Wildcats scored a run in the bottom of the first on a solo home run to left field by Eastin Hall. Mount Vernon took the lead, 4-2, in the bottom of the fourth thanks to singles by Clowers, and Meinschein. Hamilton earned the win on the mound. The starting pitcher surrendered two hits and two runs (zero earned) over four innings, striking out three and walking four. Bryce Bourne collected the save.

Levi Embrey tossed two innings of scoreless ball in relief. The right-handed pitcher allowed two hits, striking out one and walking one. Clowers provided pop in the middle of the lineup, and led the Wildcats with two runs batted in. The right-handed hitter went 2-for-3 on the day and added two stolen bases.

The Wildcats were to travel to Washington to face the Hatchets for their next game on Tuesday. The score for that game was not available at press time.