File photo – The Ferndale Wildcats won their Little 4 openers on Thursday.

Game one of Thursday’s Little 4 doubleheader between the Wildcats and Hoopa Warriors at Ferndale was a pitchers’ duel, with Austin Michel and Lyle McKinnon allowing just three hits between them.

Michel and the Wildcats got the win, 4-1, and the home team secured the doubleheader sweep with a 14-4 victory in five innings in game two.

The two wins keep the Wildcats undefeated on the season, as they improved to 2-0 in the Little 4 and 5-0-1 overall.

Michel threw all seven innings and allowed just one earned run on one hit while striking out 15.

The Ferndale pitcher also had three hit batsmen.

McKinnon was almost as impressive for the Warriors, giving up three earned runs on two hits and six walks and striking out seven.

“Kudos to Lyle, in the first game he threw well and kept us off base,” Ferndale head coach Justin Andersen said.

Wes Renner finished 1-for-2 for the Cats with an RBI and also scored one of their runs, while Parker Prior was 1-for-3 with a run.

Colton Renner pinch hit for Ferndale in the sixth and drove in a run.

The Wildcats fared much better at the plate in game two and were led by Jonah Anderson, who finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and scored two runs.

Wes Renner also was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run to round out a good day for the senior.

Trent Titus also went 1-for-2 two RBIs and three runs; Prior was 1-for-3 with an RBI and scored a run; Jarrett Smith was 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a run and Prescot Langer finished 1-for-2.

Anderson, Prior and Dixon combined on the mound.

“I thought Austin pitched well in the first game and I thought Parker and Levi pitched well in game two,” Andersen said. “Luckily our pitching has been able to keep us in games, but we’ve still got work to do.”

The Warriors dropped to 0-2 in the Little 4.

File photo