LaCENTER – One more out.

That’s all Ilwaco needed to win their fifth game of the season at LaCenter Tuesday, but it came too late, as the Wildcats clawed to a 6-4 Trico League victory in the second game of a doubleheader.

The Fishermen lost the opener 16-9 despite banging out 16 hits in their most prolific offensive effort of the season.

Ilwaco was leading the nightcap 4-2 in the seventh with two outs and no one on when the LaCenter leadoff hitter smacked a double. A walk and a bloop single over first base made the score 4-3 while the runners moved to second and third on the throw to the plate.

Travis Ostgaard, induced a slow roller to shortstop, but an error allowed both Wildcats to cross home. Another error and bloop hit gave LaCenter a 6-4 lead.

In the first game, Rocky Mirelez led off the contest with a ringing double to left center and scored on Nick Leonard’s single. Base hits by Anthony Wirkkala and John Wright sandwiched around an error in the second gave the fledgling Fishermen a 2-0 lead.

In the third, the Wildcats tied the game and scored 14 runs the final three innings to pull away. Ilwaco was charitable as LaCenter received 13 bases on balls and were the beneficiary of 2 Fishermen errors. Ilwaco answered with 7 runs of their own in the final three innings, but left the bases loaded in both the fifth and seventh innings.

Mirelez had 4 hits and 2 RBI’s, Mooch Smith smashed 2 doubles and drove in 3 runs, and Jarod Schaak, Wright and Quinn Padgett each smacked 2 base hits a piece. Bobby Crislip and Ostgaard added RBI singles in the first game.

After playing a complete game at third base, Ostgaard struck out 3, walked 2 and scattered 4 hits in taming the Cats over the first 6 2/3 innings. He finished with a 7-hit complete game on the hill.

Schaak led off the second inning of the double dip with a single up the middle. After an error he scored when Crislip lined a scorcher to right field. Schaak again started things in the fourth with a hit.

Wirkkala singled to move him to second, and Crislip again knocked in the run with yet another single. Wright loaded the bases with an infield hit, and Padgett plated 2 runs with a 2-strike bunt and some daring baserunning from pinch runner Ryan Gray.

Ilwaco 110 024 1 9-16-2

LaCenter 002 455 X 16-9-4

Ilw-Leonard (L) and Smith; LC-Scanlan (W), Calnan (5) and Bloyd

LaCenter 101 000 4 6-7-3

Ilwaco 010 300 0 4-10-2

Gandy, Williamson (4) and Bloyd; Ostgaard (L) and Smith