File photo – Parker Prior

After having several games canceled early in the season because of the weather, the defending North Coast Section Division-6 baseball champions got the new campaign off to a winning start on Tuesday afternoon.

The Ferndale Wildcats opened at Willits and won a high-scoring showdown 15-8.

Reigning Little 4 MVP Parker Prior hit the ground running to begin his senior campaign, while a pair of freshmen also impressed.

“Prior was ready to go out of the gates,” head coach Justin Andersen said of the influential senior middle infielder.

Prior was one of four Ferndale pitchers who combined on the mound and he threw two innings, as did Prescott Langer,and Jonah Anderson, the latter of whom got the win.

Freshman Cade Renner also pitched one inning in his high school debut.

Langer led the way at the plate and was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Prior and Tanner Pidgeon each added two base hits.

Pidgeon also drove in a run and Prior scored three times.

Freshman cash Mobley also enjoyed a good start to his high school career and finished 2-for-2 with two RBIs, while the young Renner capped a good all-around day by going 1-for-3.

“Both freshman picked us up early,” said Andersen, who also started a sophomore as the Cats look to replace five seniors this spring, four of whom played big roles a year ago. “I was super pleased with our freshmen.”

After seeing five early-season games canceled, the coach and his players were just happy to get out on the field to play.

“We finally got to play some baseball,” Andersen said. “We’ve still got work to do, obviously, but we were grateful to get a game in.

“We’re still trying to figure out where everybody fits in.”

Next up, the Cats are scheduled to host Hayfork on Thursday at 4 p.m., followed by a game against Fortuna in Scotia on Friday night, although the latter remains up in the air with rain forecast.