Wildcats close in on state playoff berth by blanking Colonels

Jakiyon Porter homered, doubled, and drove in two runs Tuesday night in the Wildcats' 3-0 win at Cass.

Woodland’s Rowan Billings and Conner Stermer combined on the mound Tuesday night to limit Cass to just one hit in a 3-0 shutout of the Colonels at the Colonels’ Athletic Complex.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats finished with nine hits and scored single runs in the second, fifth, and seventh innings.

Stermer, who finished with two hits, singled home a run in the second inning. Jakiyon Porter drove in a run with a groundout in the fifth and hit a solo home run in the seventh inning. Porter also doubled in the third inning.

Chase Carson, Ayden Ray, Jackson Rutledge, Austin Sanders (double), and Billings contributed one hit each for the Wildcats.

Billings started on the mound for Woodland and struck out seven in the first six innings. He walked one and allowed just one base hit to the Colonels’ Bentley Markley in the fourth inning.

Stermer needed just 11 pitches to work through a scoreless and hitless seventh inning to earn a save for the Wildcats.

Carson Hill (6 IP, 2R, 1ER, 8H, 1BB, 5K) was tagged with the pitching loss for Cass. Devan Hutchinson (1 IP, 1ER, 1H, 1K) pitched in the seventh inning for the Colonels.

The three game region series now moves to Woodland for a doubleheader Thursday at 5 p.m.

Woodland (12-16, 5-8) needs one win Thursday to secure the final state playoff berth from Region 7-5A.

Cass (5-23, 4-9) could snatch the final state playoff berth with a doubleheader sweep Thursday evening.