Wildcats, Bishop Kelley Split By DAVID MILLER News Sports Editor Showing strong pitching and a solid defense, the Ponca City Wildcats started their baseball season with a split of a doubleheader Friday night at the Po-Hi baseball field. The Wildcats opened their campaign with the Bishop Kelley Comets and after dropping the opener 3-2, came back to earn the split with a decisive 5-1 victory in the nightcap. It was a night of strong pitching performances by the Wildcat hurlers. Austin Emmel was the starting pitcher in the first game and pitched five good innings, allowing only six hits to the Kelley batters. Although Emmel was credited with the loss, only two of the three runs scored during his stint on the hill were earned. Coming in to pitch two hitless innings of relief was Riley Sells. Wildcat pitchers struck out seven of the Comet batters, with Emmel getting four and Sells three. There were only three walks in the game. In the nightcap, Sam Flowers was the starter, and like Emmel he completed five innings. Flowers gave up only one hit in his tenure. Dalton Mazurier pitched the final two innings and he retired all six batters he faced. There were seven strikeouts in the second game, with Flowers whiffing five and Mazurier two. There were only two walks in this game. Chase Kurtz had two hits in three at-bats in the second game for the Wildcats, singling in the first and sixth innings. The Wildcats scored twice in the second inning of the nightcap and after Kelley had scored a run in the third, responded with a third run in the third inning. Ponca City added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. An error and a sacrifice fly by Kurtz led to the two-run second inning for the Wildcats. Another Kelley error led to a run in the third. Joey Furber singled home a run in the fifth inning. And yet another error gave the Wildcats their final run in the sixth. In the opener, Robert Nanni hit a double and a home run to lead the hitting effort for Ponca City. Bishop Kelley scored first with a run in the fourth. Ponca City responded with two runs in the fifth and then Bishop Kelley regained the lead with two in the sixth.\ It was the first victory as Ponca City’s head coach for Drew Burris. Burris was pleased with Friday’s results. “Overall we did some good things,” he said. “Our pitching and defense carried us. The hitting was a little behind, but that’s the way it tends to be in this time of the year. We expect the hitting to catch up.” He credited his pitching staff of Emmel, Sells, Flowers and Mazurier of doing the job they were asked to do. “They were throwing a lot of strikes and not giving up a lot of walks,” he said. He also credited his coaching staff with doing a good job in getting the Wildcats ready to play in the opening game. And with the win being his first in a Ponca City uniform, he said it is special. “It is one I’ll remember,” he said. The next outing for Ponca City is scheduled Monday in Enid. The Plainsmen will come to Ponca City for a game Tuesday starting at 5 p.m. (First Game) BISHOP KELLEY 3, PONCA CITY 2 Kelley 000 102 0 — 3 6 0 Ponca 000 020 0 — 2 5 0 Ponca City: Austin Emmel, Riley Sells (6) and Brian Wicker. L: Emmel 0-1. 2B: Robert Nanni (PC) HR: Robert Nanni (PC) (Second Game) PONCA CITY 5, BISHOP KELLEY 1 Kelley 001 000 0 — 0 1 9 Ponca 021 011 x — 5 5 2 Ponca City — Sam Flowers, Dalton Mazurier (6) and Brian Wicker. W: Flowers (1-0).