Yates Center junior Evan McVey made a bit of history Thursday after reaching the 100-strikeout milestone while pitching in a doubleheader against Pleasanton.
McVey reached the milestone while helping the Wildcats earn their third Three Rivers League win and snap a three-game losing streak in the process.
He finished the game with eight strikeouts over four innings while allowing onerun on four hits and a walk. Freshman reliever Shane Shields tallied a pair of strikeouts while coming on in the fourth inning for the save.
Thanks to McVey and Shields’ performances in the batter’s box, not much else was necessary.
All three of their third-inning runs were unearned. Junior third baseman Braxton Rutherford scored on an error at third base. Senior shortstop Kage Beck scored on an errant pitch and McVey scored on the same at-bat following another wild pitch. McVey and Rutherford registered the Wildcats’ only hits of the opener.
The Wildcats could not keep their momentum going in the finale, where they fell 6-3. Like the opener, they did not score a single earned run and, also like the opener, McVey and Rutherford registered their only hits.
Starter Blake Morrison took the loss in the finale. He registered a team-leading five strikeouts over four innings, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks. Junior relievers Nolan Lampe and Colton Burkholder came on in the fifth and sixth innings. Burkholder posed a trio of strikeouts while also allowing a run on two hits.
The Yates Center softball team split their doubleheader Thursday while facing West Elk. They fell in the opener 19-8, taking the finale 12-9. The final stats from the game were not available at press time.
