Baseball opens series against Champion Christian with two wins
For the first time this season, the Wiley College baseball team wins consecutive games with 10-5 and 7-2 victories over Champion Christian College Friday at Airport Park.
The Wildcats (5-5) equaled last season's win total and improved to 4-4 in home games. The Tigers are still searching for their first win of the season as they extend their losing streak to six games.
Jalen Porter got the start in the first game and went the distance for a second consecutive start. He is the first Wildcat to throw consecutive complete games since Carlos Torres did it in 2020. In seven innings, he allowed five runs on six hits but only three were earned. Porter struck out 12 – becoming the first Wildcat to record double-digit strikeouts since 2019.
Kai Woodard went 2-for-2 and hit his third home run in the fourth. He drove in a run with a single in the sixth. Jhan Carlos Javier went 3-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI. Alexander San Miguel and Luis Chapa also had RBI base hits.
After giving up a run in the first inning, the Wildcats struck back. Jacob Perez reached on a fielder's choice and Woodard was hit by a pitch. Javier got Wiley College on the board with a single to center. Woodard gave the Wildcats the lead when San Miguel reached on an error.
Wiley College put up five runs on three hits and two errors in the third inning. Woodard led off with a walk and Javier doubled. A passed ball brought home Woodard. Miguel drove in Javier with a single. Derwin Cooks courtesy ran and stole second. Julian Rosales walked and executed a double steal with Cooks stealing home. Chapa's RBI single brought home Rosales. He advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error.
Champion Christian (0-6) took advantage of three walks and scored four runs in the fourth inning. An error brought home two of those runs. Porter got out of the inning with a strikeout. Woodard extended the lead with his home run.
The Wildcats put up seven hits in Game 2. Luis Mares went 2-for-2 with a double, a run and an RBI. Gabriel Garcia went 2-for-3 with two runs and a RBI. Devin Molina hit his first career home run in the second inning. Eddie Garza hit a RBI double in the sixth.
Ivan Del Villar started and went five innings. He limited the Tigers to two runs on six hits, and struck out two to earn his second victory. AJ Garcia pitched the final two innings and retired six of seven hitters to earn his first career save.
Champion Christian struck first with a single by Jeremy Miller and a double by Jeffrey Miller. Molina tied the game in the second with his home run. Mares led off the fourth with a double. Woodard singled and Molina walked to load the bases. Matthew Drabbant gave the Wildcats the lead with a walk. Woodard extended the lead by scoring on a wild pitch.
The Tigers got a run back in the fifth when Kristopher Bachman singled and advanced to third on a single by Jeremy Miller. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Chanler Guidry. Wiley College pulled away in the sixth with Garcia's RBI single, Mares RBI single and Garza RBI double.
The series will conclude with a doubleheader on Saturday.
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