By Trey Hunter
Sports Editor
NOBLE – The Wildcats played through miscues Thursday, neutralizing their four errors with 11 hits and a solid outing from their senior starting pitcher.
Piedmont (4-1, 3-0) knocked off the Bears (7-6, 3-3) 7-2, earning its third district win while still sitting atop District 5A-2. The team’s bats stayed alive while Chloe Bohuslavicky went the distance in the circle to earn her fourth win of the year. But errors played a part, something coach Keith Coleman has stressed needs improvement. The team’s first error led to a 1-0 Noble lead in the bottom of the second inning.
The Cats failed to crack the scoreboard in the first two innings and the Bears took advantage early.
Noble pitcher Baylea Smith reached on a single to lead off the bottom of the second. Her courtesy runner scored on the next pitch as left fielder Sydney Chapman reached on an error by Piedmont senior third baseman Rikki Hadley and then reached third on an error by senior right fielder Ashlyn Brown, giving the Bears a one-run lead.
Piedmont rallied back however, answering with three runs in the top of the third and three more in the fourth to take a 6-1 advantage.
Senior second baseman Kenedi Morelock reached on an error in left field and advanced to second base to lead off the top of the third. Senior left fielder Jordan Collins grounded into a fielder’s choice, but stole second and then scored on a RBI triple by Hadley to tie the game 1-1. Hadley scored on a Bohuslavicky single in the next at-bat to take a 2-1 lead. Bohuslavicky’s courtesy runner, freshman Karissa Fiegener stole second and third and then scored on an error by Noble catcher Chloe Martin to make it 3-1. The Bears committed three errors in the game.
Senior first baseman Meghan Ray got things going again for Piedmont with a one-out single in the top of the fourth. She stole second and reached third on a passed ball before a walk to Collins, who also stole second base. Both Ray and Collins then scored on a two RBI single by Hadley for a 5-1 lead. Hadley reached second on the throw home and then stole third before scoring on an error by Martin behind the plate for a 6-1 advantage.
Hadley led the Cats with three RBI, going 3-for-4 while also scoring twice. Ray, who added to the lead with a solo home run in the top of the sixth to make it 7-1, finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs.
Errors continued to plague Piedmont late in the game as Noble tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh.
Bohuslavicky got the first out, but then allowed a walk and a single before Noble’s Cheyenne Mendez reached on an error by senior shortstop Cozee Clark, followed by an error by Collins in left field to plate a run and cut the lead to 7-2. Bohuslavicky sealed the deal, however, striking out Bears center fielder Autumn Colgate for the final out. Bohuslavicky went seven-complete, allowing two unearned runs on five hits, two walks and the team’s four errors while racking up nine strikeouts.
The Cats have now won four straight after a season-opening loss to Class 6A Yukon. They look to stay hot against another 6A opponent, Shawnee (6-11), Tuesday at home. The scheduled start is 6 p.m.
