The Ellsworth Bearcat baseball team played Little River High School April 26 at home, defeating the Redskins 11-1 and 21-0.

The top of the first was quick for the Redskins. They had four plays and almost immediately got three strikeouts, ending any opportunity for a strong start.

Two plays in to the bottom, and senior Will Cravens scored. Two plays after that, junior Dax Leiker did the same. The next play, senior Cole Webber scored. After that, senior Lane Rolfs scored and the Cats got their first out. Seniors Ben Hipp and Jordan Rodriguez also scored, and the first inning ended 6-0, Cats.

The top of the second was cut short, with three outs coming in quick succession. The bottom of the second was less profitable for the Cats. Only Rolfs scored before the inning ended.

In the top of the third, the Redskins scored their first and only point. It was also the longest half they would get, lasting a lengthy six plays.

The bottom started in the most ruthless way possible, with senior Layton Leiker immediately getting an inside the park home run. The second most insulting thing imaginable would come two plays later, when Webber also hit a home run.

Neither team scored in the fourth, the fifth or the top of the sixth.

As a final send-off to the Redskins, sophomore Jaxson Minear and Layton Leiker scored in the bottom of the seventh.

The game was pitched by Rolfs and junior Gavin Moyer. Rolfs pitched the first four innings, threw 64 times and struck nine batters out. Moyer pitched the rest of the game, threw 41 pitches, and struck six batters out.

The Bearcats won the second game against the Redskins 21-0.

The top of the first started and succinctly ended, four plays, in and out. In the first of only two innings the Cats could be allowed to play in, Cravens, Webber, Daxton Leiker, Rolfs and sophomore Tucker Goss put the score at 7-0.

The top of the second was longer than usual, but still secured no points for the Redskins.

The bottom was where things got bad.

Webber scored two plays in. It then continued with Rolfs, Hipp and Rodriguez all scoring back-to-back. The Cats began and extended another streak of scoring with senior Wyatt Bohnen, Goss, Cravens and Webber all adding to their colossal lead.

The Cats got two outs in a row after that, then Rolfs scored again. Before the inning ended, Bohnen, Goss and sophomore Micah Galvan scored. When the dust settled, the Cats put 14 points on the board in the span of one inning.

The top of the third was a foregone conclusion, ending quickly after it started, and the bottom didn’t happen as the Redskins were run ruled 21-0.

“The guys played well and with those victories, put us two games closer to clinching the No. 1 seed in the regional,” Head Coach Jason McWilliams said. “A home first round playoff game would be huge.”

This put the Cats’ record at 11-3. Their next action will be on the road at Republic County April 3.