Bobcats strike out 17, earn first program win
The Bryant & Stratton Bobcats made a little history on this beautiful Saturday afternoon splitting the inaugural double header with Lakeland Community College 5-1 and 9-3. The second game win was headlined by the Bobcat arms of Brad Wolfe and Jagger Jefferis combining for a 17 strikeout performance on the mound. While Christian Boyles was 4-4 at the plate and drove in 3.
Game one started a little shaky for the Bobcats as opening day starting pitcher Adam Wibert had some trouble finding the umpire's strike zone and walked the first three batters to load the bases. Alex Ehinger would give the Lakers the lead with an RBI single, but that was it for the Lakers against Wibert. The big righty would settle in and strike out the side to end the first surrendering just the one run. He would go on to retire 12 out of the final 13 batters he faced with no hits, 1 walk, and 9 strikeouts in a very solid performance.
The Lakers would bust open in the 5th with a pair of two run home runs to put them up 5-0. The bobcats would scratch out their only run for the game on an RBI single by John Costella that scored Riley Day in the fifth.
Game two started much the same as game one with the Lakers getting on the board in the first with a run on two singles and a throwing error, before starter Brad Wolfe settled in and struck out the side.This would be a running theme for Brad as he would go on to strike out the side in all four innings he pitched.
The Bobcat bats woke up for this one as they would answer the Lakeland run with 6 of their own in the bottom of the 1st. Singles by Christian Boyles and John Costella, and a walk by Tylor Wolfe set the table for a Riley Day RBI single and a Dylan Cutler RBI double. A fielding error by the Lakers would score two more and keep the inning alive for the Bobcats, giving Christian Boyles the opportunity to hit an RBI double stretching the Bobcat lead to 6-1.
A pair of unearned Lakeland runs in the second and third would make the score 6-3 Bobcats, before they were able to add to the lead in the bottom of the third.Torrey Roper would start the inning with a single, and come around to score on yet another Christian Boyles shot into right that left him standing on third. Boyles would come home on a Tylor Wolfe Sacrifice fly, Bobcats lead 8-3 end of the third.
Brad Wolfe would strike out the side in order in the 4th ending his incredible debut and putting him in line for the win. Wolfe finished the day with a line of 4 innings pitched, 5 hits, 1 walk, 1 earned run, and a staggering 12 strikeouts. Jagger Jefferis would come in to pitch in the 5th and pick up right where Wolfe left off. After hitting the lead off batter in the two with a curveball, Jefferis would retire the side in order with two strikeouts of his own. The Bobcats would tack on one more run in the fifth as Roper scored on another Christian Boyles double to stretch the lead to 9-3.
Jefferis would retire the next six Lakers in order with three more strikeouts to lock down the three inning save in the Bobcats' first victory in program history. The split today puts the Bobcats at 1-1 with two home games scheduled at Cisar Field tomorrow at 1 and 3:30 Vs Henry Ford College.
