Both teams have good records. Wiley, with five Eads kids playing key roles on the team, is sporting a 10-5 record suffering defeats by McClave and Holly within the conference. Cheyenne Wells has had an up-and-down season as Mother Nature, in the form of snow, wind, rain, and even prairie fire, has caused them to struggle getting into the flow of the season. Nevertheless, the Tigers are 8-5 with just a couple of weeks left in the regular season.
On Friday Cheyenne Wells traveled to the new field in Wiley and played two tough games against the Panthers but would eventually lose both contests in close scores. Game 1 of the conference double header saw a pitching duel between Wiley’s Case Nelson and the Tigers’ ace Ty Scheler. Nelson would gain the advantage with the 1-0 win.
Then, in the nightcap the Panthers had total control leading 8-1 after three full innings, but let the dangerous Tigers back in the contest when they scored 5 runs in the bottom of the fourth. However, it would not be enough as Wiley won the nightcap, 10-6.
Case Nelson, a sophomore at Eads, is the ace for the Panthers this year and put together another gem of a game against Cheyenne Wells on Friday throwing a complete game shutout and leading the Panthers to a 1-0 victory.
The pitching was strong for both sides. Nelson struck out five coming from the left side, while Ty Scheler sat down seven batters.
A double in the first inning by the Tiger’s Alex Mitchek was a positive. The big hit came with two outs. Unfortunately, Mitchek would get no further than second base as the next batter up flew out. The Tigers had 4 hits in the contest.
Neither team could really get anything going against the supreme pitching performances from both Nelson and Scheler. Wiley did manage to put up their winning run in the top of the second inning when Nelson pulled a walk with one out. Brenden Reifschneider then singled on a sac bunt moving Jacobs, Nelson’s pinch runner, to third base. With runners on the corners and one out James Pearson grounded out at shortstop but hit in the run from third base.
Reifschneider, a senior at Eads High School, got Wiley’s sole hit, while Pearson had the only RBI. But it would be enough to grab the big win.
The Tigers did get a few swats in at the ball and had 4 hits including singles by Blake Gilmore and Mason Marriott, and a double coming from Alex Mitchek and Scheler. Unfortunately, the Tigers could not get anything strung together in order to tie the contest.
In Game 2, the Wiley Panthers weathered a scare by the Tigers in the fourth inning where Wiley committed enough errors to allow 5 runs in the inning.
Gilmore started the five-run attack by hitting a single to third base. Alex Mitchek then pulled a walk to put two aboard. Scheler then pounded out a double that scored Gilmore. Paul Mitchek then singled allowing Alex Mitchek to come across the plate.
With one out and two aboard, Carson Noe singled up the middle to load the bases.
Reyna then walked bringing in Scheler. Tanner Conaway then singled bringing in Paul Mitchek. Marriott then arrived on an error allowing Noe to score.
Wiley got things moving in the first inning. Spencer Uhland drove in one run on a single. Wiley would tally 5 runs in the third inning. Cooper Tixier, Rhett McDonald, James Pearson, Shaine Winder, and Case Nelson powered the big inning with RBIs.
Jace Parker was on the hill for Wiley. The righthander went five innings, allowing six runs on six hits and striking out five.
Blake Gilmore toed the rubber for the CW Tigers. Gilmore went two and two-thirds innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits and striking out three. Keaton Marriott threw two and a third innings out of the bullpen.
Wiley collected 13 hits. Ty Michael, Reifschneider, Evan Larrick, and Pearson each managed multiple hits for the Panthers. Michael went 3-for-3 at the plate to lead the Wiley crew.
Next on the agenda for the Wiley group is a date with the boys from down South—South Baca consists of players from Walsh, Vilas, Springfield, Campo, and Pritchett. Wiley will host South Baca on Tuesday. Then they finish off the regular season with a struggling, but always dangerous, Granada group for a double header on Friday, April 28.
Cheyenne Wells will be well-seasoned after this week as they travel to one of the top teams in the league Stratton (8-7) for a double header on Tuesday. Then on Thursday they will be in Otis (9-4) for their final games of the regular season in a double header encounter.
Next week will be playoff time and most of the teams in this league look to advance to the first round.
