Uwharrie’s Rhett Barker round third base and scores in Thursday’s home win versus the Carolina Disco Turkeys. (Contributed)

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By Charles Curcio
Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — The Uwharrie Wampus Cats finished a four-game home stand with four games in as many nights at Don Montgomery Park.

Thursday’s Game

Uwharrie 7, Carolina Disco Turkeys 4

The most frequent opponent this season for the Uwharrie Wampus Cats is the team’s closest geographical rival in Winston-Salem.

Thursday’s game marked the sixth time this season the Cats and Turkeys have met on the field.

After a big first-inning offensive output, the Cats evened the season series with the Turkeys with the win.

Jett Thomas earned the win on the mound for Uwharrie. The former West Stanly Colt allowed just one hit in six shutout innings of work on the mound with no walks and six strikeouts. Drew Holcomng picked up the save, pitching the final 1.1 innings, allowing an earned run on two hits with a strikeout.

After allowing an unearned run in the top of the first inning, Uwharrie immediately loaded the bases in the bottom of the frame. Back-to-back groundouts put the Wampus Cats up 2-1.

Another walk and a hit batter loaded the bases for Brendan Fulcher, who cleared the bases with a three-RBI double to left.

Uwharrie added two more runs in the bottom of the second on RBI singles from Abram Threats and Connor Lindsey to lead 7-1.

The Disco Turkeys chipped away at the Cats’ lead with two runs in the seventh and an RBI double in the eighth, but could not get any closer.

Threats led the offense for Uwharrie going 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI.

Friday’s Game

Carolina Swamp Donkeys 15, Uwharrie 3 (8 inn.)

The Cats kept Friday’s game against the Swamp Donkeys of the Carolina Collegiate League close until the final two innings, when the visitors pulled away with nine runs to earn the win.

Nathan Hayworth took the loss for Uwharrie, allowing three earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and a walk in four innings on the mound.

Uwharrie used five pitchers in the game walking 10 and striking out seven while allowing 14 earned runs on 12 hits.

The Cats were limited to three hits in the game, with right fielder Brendan Fulcher picking up two doubles and driving in two of Uwharrie’s three runs. Connor Lindsey had the other hit for the hosts, an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning.

Saturday’s Game

Uwharrie 5, Joanna Hornets 4 (11 inn.)

Trailing by a run in the bottom of the 11th, the Wampus Cats improved its record in one-run game improved to 4-3 this season with a walk-off win.

In the 11th, with Blake McKinney placed on second base to start the inning, Anderson Moreno reached first on a bunt single, and a throwing error by the pitcher scored McKinney to tie the game. Moreno then stole third when Carter Devore struck out. Shaked Baruch’s RBI single to center with one out scored Moreno to win the game.

Moreno, Ben Mecimore and Connor Lindsey each had two hits to lead the offense for Uwharrie, with Moreno and Baruch adding two RBIs each.

Skyler Faircloth started for the Cats and pitched six scoreless innings, walking three and striking out five, allowing three hits.

Brooks Farrell earned the win in relief for Uwharrie with three strikeouts in 1.1 innings while not allowing an earned run.

Uwharrie led 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning on a Moreno RBI single and led until the top of the seventh.

In the seventh, the Hornets tied the game with an RBI single, then took the lead 2-1 with a two-out RBI double in the eighth.

Baruch sent the game to extra innings by drawing a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

Both teams scored a single run in the 10th inning, then the Hornets pulled ahead 4-3 with an unearned run in the top of the 11th.

Sunday’s Game

Catawba Valley Stars 9, Uwharrie 8

The Cats nearly made it back-to-back walk-off wins Sunday night against the Stars, a baseball program from Knoxville, Tennessee.

Uwharrie loaded the bases in the ninth down a pair of runs, but could only score one, falling to 4-4 on the season in one-run contests.

A one-out triple from Rhett Barker and back-to-back walks loaded the bases for Cole Smith. Smith singled to right to score Barker, but Carson Whitehead was thrown out on a force play for the second out. The next batter struck out to end the game.

Barker had a big night at the plate for the Cats going 4-for-4 with a double, a triple and an RBI. Whitehead had two RBIs, while Smith, Baruch and McKinney each drove in a run.

North Stanly grad Rylan Furr started for the Cats and allowed three earned runs on nine hits in five innings of work, with four walks and seven strikeouts. Wallace took the loss in relief for Uwharrie.

The Wampus Cats scored a run in each of the first three innings and led 4-1 after 5.

Catawba Valley answered with five runs in the sixth and seventh innings to lead 6-4.

Uwharrie surged ahead in the bottom of the seventh with three runs, but the Stars answered in the top of the ninth, scoring three times.