The second full week of the season was a bit of a mixed bag for the Columbia Wildcats, who took their first loss Feb. 23 against Loyd Star, 13-3, but bounced back Friday with their second win in extra innings against Taylorsville, 2-1.
The Wildcats (4-1) got off to a decent start in their home game against the Yellow Jackets, with a line drive hit to center field by Naji Cain driving home Mac McDaniel for the first run of the contest. Cain struck again in the bottom of the third, hitting a single to left field to drive in Dylan Wallace and tie the game 3-3 halfway through.
The top of the fourth is where things began falling apart for the Wildcats. After tossing three scoreless innings in his second start for the varsity team, a fatigued Lane Robertson surrendered four runs on two hits. Columbia went to its bullpen in the top of the fifth, electing to place Cain on the mound, but the Yellow Jackets' momentum carried over regardless as they racked up six more runs on six hits.
McDaniel hit a double to left field to start off the bottom of the fifth, and he advanced to third during the next at-bat on a ground out to first by Eli Lowery, but he was stranded at third for the rest of the contest. Cain popped out in foul territory just moments later, and Colin Haney was picked off at first base to invoke the 10-run rule and end the game.
Robertson surrendered seven runs on six hits over 3 2/3 innings, striking out four. Cain threw 1 1/3 innings in relief, striking out two while allowing six earned runs on six hits. Mac McDaniel led the way at the plate for Columbia, batting 2-for-2 with one run in the losing effort.
Runs were hard to come by in the Wildcats' home game against the Tartars, with both teams receiving strong pitching performances from start to finish. Senior Dylan Wallace delivered his strongest performance so far this season, striking out 12 while allowing only one run on one hit through seven innings on the mound. Five pitchers toed the mound for Taylorsville, combining for four strikeouts while surrendering two runs on only five hits throughout the evening.
The first run came in the bottom of the third when McDaniel — a surging star in the Wildcats' lineup — singled on a line drive to right field to bring home Greyson Carney and take a 1-0 lead. Tied 1-1 with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, McDaniel struck again, singling on a ground ball to third base that allowed Robertson to reach home plate as the game-winning run. Lindsey said McDaniel appears to be a star in the making, based on what he's displayed during his short time with the team, and he looks forward to watching him continue to grow along with the team as they chase lofty goals for the 2023 season.
Now the Wildcats are preparing to play host in the annual Adidas Tournament, which will take place from Thursday through Saturday. The Wildcats will take on East Central in their first appearance of the tournament Thursday at 7 p.m., followed by a matchup with Parklane Academy at 6:30 p.m. Friday. The schedule for Saturday's games will be determined by the winners of Thursday's and Friday's contests.
