Before the season began, Oxford baseball players were wary of Lapeer West’s Number 33, Will Jostock.
On May 6, the Wildcats got their first look at the All-State pitcher, and the result was less than pretty.
A 6-0 loss to the Panthers in game one was not the way the team intended to begin their four game swing in Lapeer, but considering who was pitching, not many could blame the Cats. Lapeer West’s Jostock shut down the Wildcats offense, as he has done to many other teams this season, earning the shutout. Jostock’s dominance was shown in his twelve strikeouts, fanning Oxford batters right and left.
In fact, seniors Bryan Mattack and Shawn Gall were the only Oxford players who were able to register a hit against Number 33, with Mattack hitting a single in the fourth inning and both players doubling in the sixth.
Oxford fared better in the second game of the doubleheader against West’s new starting pitcher, Nick Norman. Although they ultimately lost the game, the Wildcats managed seven runs in a desperate 8-7 effort. The loss came when Panther’s secondbaseman Mike Cox hit an RBI single to win the game. The losses caused Oxford’s record to fall to 10-10.
Oxford’s offensive leader for the night was designated hitter, Ryan Stull, who hit a single in the first inning and a triple in the top half of the third. Stull also finished the game with two RBIs. Joel Grifka went two for four with two singles.
The Wildcats took on Lapeer East on May 10, and will face the Goodrich Martians on May 15. The doubleheader will be the second meeting of the season between the two teams. Goodrich won the first meeting by a score of 6-2 during Oxford’s home opener.
Mike Stechschulte is a junior at Oxford High School who plans to major in the field of journalism.