The Wildcat baseball team over the weekend bounced back from a blistering loss on March 25 to Clay County, winning the Fernandina Beach Diamond Classic by sweeping three games.
The win brings the Cats’ record to 16-2 overall.
It was a relief for the Cats after a rough loss at home to the Blue Devils. BCHS was knocked dizzy by a quick seven runs in the first inning and never recovered as Clay racked up an 18-8 win.
BCHS tried to keep it close early and closed the gap to 7-4. But Clay scored five runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to seal the victory, only the second loss of the season for Fred Matricardi’s Cats.
At Fernandina, Ethan Wilkerson was MVP of the tournament and hit .500 through three games.
The Cats got things started with a 4-0 romp over Tatnell Square Academy of Macon, GA. The game was scoreless through seven innings. Jared Crews had a strong outing on the mound, throwing 6 2/3 innings of scoreless ball.
The Cats erupted for four runs in the eighth inning. Hunter Hanks and Wilkerson provided much of the offense.
BCHS then faced off against Makeel Vance Technical of Lakeland in the second game and came from behind for a 6-3 win. Makeel struck first with a pair of runs, but the Cats kept it close with a run in the first.
BCHS scored two in the second and two in the third, then piled on an insurance run in the sixth inning. Hanks ran his record to 7-0-1 on the mound and Hanks and Wilkerson each collected a pair of hits.
In the finals the Wildcats defeated Fleming Island 4-1. BCHS scored a pair of runs in the first and a pair in the seventh. Jordan Kennedy pitched the complete game for BCHS giving up only five hits that afternoon.
Wilkerson had three hits and Hanks a pair of hits in the victory. BCHS travels to Port Charlotte for a tournament this weekend before hosting Oakleaf on April 9.
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