Wiley gets revenge to end Cats’ tournament run
The No. 5 seed Rust College baseball program got involved in a barnburner and returned empty-handed in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Baseball Championship, losing to number one Wiley University, falling 21-11 on Saturday, April 27.
Wiley University took an early lead in their first game, pulled away late in a 13-5 victory over No. 3 seed Dillard University, and overcame an early deficit to roll past No. 5 seed Rust College 21-11 - advancing to the championship of the 2024 Hope Credit Union Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Baseball Championship at Hank Aaron Sports Academy. The Wildcats ended its run by reaching the championship for the first time since 2007 but fell 25-2 to No. 2 seed Talladega College on Sunday, April 28.
Wiley University’s Jalen Porter, two-time GCAC Pitcher of the Week, made his second start of the tournament against Rust College. He looked like he would breeze through the first inning, retiring the first two batters. He allowed an infield single and four walks before getting the last batter to pop out. Porter got two quick outs in the second inning. Five batters reached, resulting in four runs, which put Wiley in a 6-1 hole in the second inning.
Though the Wildcats had already played Dillard, they showed no signs of slowing down. It loaded the bases with a single by Abel Rodriguez, Eddie Garza reaching base on a third-strike wild pitch, and a walk by Jacob Perez. Ryan Ready and Ivan Del Villar drove in runs with walks. A two-RBI single by Amir Mason cut the margin to one. Anthony Castaneda gave the Wildcats the lead with a two- RBI single. Kai Woodard extended the lead with a RBI single.
Wiley scored in the first five innings. It put up four runs in the fourth inning. Mason led off with a double and scored on a single by Javier. Woodard hit an RBI single, and Ready drove in two with a single, extending the lead to 13-7. In the fifth inning, Ready brought home three runs with a home run over the left-field wall, which put Wiley up by 11. He became the second Wildcat to reach double-digit home runs.
Rust (16-33) bounced back with four runs in the sixth. The Wildcats wrapped up the game in the seventh inning.
Porter picked up his second win, tossing four innings. He struck out six batters. Nick Rodriguez threw three innings and fanned three to pick up his third save.
Bearcat Xavier Campbell did his best to try and single-handedly keep the Bearcats alive, reaching safely in all four trips to the dish by way of a home run, double, single, and a walk while driving in four RBIs on top of scoring twice.
Rust College’s Matthew LeBlanc also did his part, going 3-of-4 (.750) with three scores, an RBI, a free pass, and a stolen base.
JaShaun Franks and Kyrent Cole touched the plate four times, walking three times and driving home a trio of Bearcats. Cole swiped a bag.
The Blue and White notables are Jalik Demar, who doubled and scored, and Shemaar Stapleton, who blasted an RBI single.
(Rust College Sports)