It appears that Cuba High School’s baseball team is hitting its stride as they enter the second half of its regular season schedule.

The Wildcats defeated St. Clair on April 14 and Hermann on April 17 for their third-straight victory and fifth win in their least six games. Cuba is now 8-5 on the year, already doubling last year’s win total of four games. The Wildcats hosted Belle on April 20,  played in Sullivan on April 21 and will travel on April 23 to take on Crosspoint Christian Sr. in Pacific, which will all be detailed in next week’s edition. Cuba will then play in Bourbon on April 27 and are scheduled to compete in the Salem Tournament from April 30 to May 2 at Salem High School. Cuba will play in New Haven on May 4 before hosting its senior night on May 5 against Salem. Wildcat seniors and their families are expected to be honored prior to the first pitch being thrown.

Gipson’s pitching dominance continues in win over St. Clair

After winning two-of-three in the Linn Tournament on April 10 and 11, the Wildcats baseball team returned to Paul Bryan Field to take on the St. Clair Bulldogs. St. Clair came into the game with a 7-3 record while Cuba stood at 6-5, and their records would get closer after the final pitch.

Coming off a no-hit pitching performance against Steelville on April 9, Wildcat ace Braden Gipson continued to show that he’s one of the best pitchers in the area against St. Clair. Gipson hurled another complete-game shutout, striking out six Bulldogs, scattering just four hits throughout the day en route to a Wildcats 6-0 victory. This was Cuba’s first varsity victory over St. Clair since the 2017-18 season.

Gipson has now allowed just one earned run in 27 innings pitched this season, posting an otherworldly 0.2 earned run average. He has racked up 44 strikeouts thus far, nearly two per inning throughout his dominant stretch.

At the plate, the Wildcats scored three runs in the first inning and never looked back. Senior slugger Wyatt McMillian laced a double down the right field line to score Cuba’s first run of the day. Fellow senior Adam Doyle knocked in the second run on a run-scoring fielder’s choice before Cuba scored its third run on a St. Clair error.

The Wildcats added to their lead in the third inning when sophomore Luke Whittaker lined a single to center field that scored a pair of runners. Cuba tacked on one more run in the fourth inning, and Gipson’s pitching prowess allowed the Black and Gold to coast to the finish line.

A trio of Wildcats collected multiple base hits. Freshman catcher Carter Medows singled, doubled and scored twice and Whittaker singled twice and drove in a pair of runs. Doyle reached base three times on a pair of singles and a walk, scored twice and drove in two runs. McMillian doubled, drove in a run, walked twice and scored.

Freshman Layten Eikermann drove in a run and stole a base and fellow freshman Wyatt Littrell picked up a stolen base after pinch running.

Bulldog senior pitcher Clayton Ingram tossed six innings, giving up three earned runs and Easton Martin, Bo Robbins, Eli Dierker and Nathan Short all collected one base hit in the loss for St. Clair.

Cuba’s junior varsity team earned a 8-3 win following the varsity game to give the Wildcats a sweep of the Bulldogs on the day. 

Wildcats get revenge on Hermann in windy rematch

Cuba’s only loss during the Linn Tournament came to the Hermann Bearcats on April 10. Eight days later, the Wildcats welcomed the Bearcats to Paul Bryan Field, looking to settle the score.

Buoyed by a strong starting pitching performance from senior Jaspar Silva, timely hitting and endless energy running the bases, the Wildcats earned a 6-4 victory over the Bearcats on a windy day in Cuba.

After being shutout in their first matchup, Cuba immediately made sure that wouldn’t happen again. The Wildcats scored two in the first inning and one in the second to take an early 3-0 lead. Hermann responded with a two-run frame in the top of the third, but Silva and the Wildcats didn’t waver.

Cuba added one in the fourth and two in the sixth to widen the gap to four runs entering the final inning. After Silva walked the leadoff batter, head coach Randy Bouse brought in junior Logan McDonald to get the final three outs. Hermann was able to plate two runs, but McDonald bore down, earning the save while Silva took the win.

The Wildcats ran wild on the basepaths, stealing 12 bases throughout the game. Gipson, McDonald, Doyle and senior Cameron Carnal all stole two bases and McMillian, Littrell and Carter and Cooper Medows each swiped one bag.

Cuba was led by the top of its lineup throughout the afternoon. Leadoff hitter Gipson singled three times, walked and scored twice. Number-two hitter Carter Medows singled, scored and drove in three runs and the number-three hitter, McMillian, reached base twice and drove in a run. Doyle, McDonald and Cooper Medows all added singles to round out the offensive production from the Black and Gold.

The Wildcats were also aided by a pair of pinpoint throws from their centerfielder, Carnal, who tossed out two Bearcats trying to advance bases during crucial moments in the game. Carnal gunned down a runner trying to score at home plate in the fifth inning and threw out a runner trying to advance to second base for the last out of the game.

Hermann was led by sophomore catcher Carter Humphrey, who collected a pair of base hits and drove in two runs.

Cuba’s junior varsity team also earned a 6-4 victory in the second game between the two teams, despite ominous skies above them.