CHECOTAH –  The Wildcats (7-13) made it four in-a-row Monday night by stopping (1-18) Fort Gibson 16-6 in a 5 inning “run rule” shortened contest.

Checotah had no lack of offense amassing 14 hits over five innings that were spread throughout the lineup.

With Connor Smith on the mound for the Tigers, control problems set in early allowing walks to Dallas Carter and Camden Ferguson. A passed ball delivered to Charles Collins scores Carter and an error on a hard hit ball to third base by Mason Rainbolt scored Ferguson and the Cats were off and running 2-0 after one inning.

 With the score 2-0 the Checotah hit parade started in the second when singles by Dalton Carter, Bryce Marshall and Rainbolt added three more runs to take the Wildcats to a 5-0 advantage after two.

In the top of the fourth inning the Tigers closed the gap a bit with singles by Jaxon Graber and Chase Meisner, and a double Smith that was a wall banger off the center field wall that put Fort Gibson within 2 runs at 5-3.

Checotah came back in the bottom of the inning with a run via a double by Collins, a single by Rainbolt and a Double by Treagan DuVall that scored courtesy runner Caleb Elkins, and the Wildcats went back up by 3 runs 6-3 after 4.

Fort Gibson made it a game in the top of the fifth inning scoring 3 runs to tie the game on a double by Brody Abbott and singles by Ethan Reese, Graber and Chase Meisner.

In the bottom of the inning, the Wildcats response was loud and strong. After an early groundout by Carter, the flood gates opened for Checotah.

Ferguson singled, C Thompson walked, Marshall and Rainbolt doubled, and the rout was on.

DuVall was hit by a pitch, Jim Rainbolt followed with a walk and Logan Crawford got an RBI on a fielder’s choice.

With the score now 10-6 the final blows came from a single by Carter, a walk to Ferguson. And doubles by Thompson and Bryce Marshall that ended the game at 16-6.

Collins earned the win for Checotah, giving up 8 hits and 6 runs over the five innings, striking out six Tigers while walking just one.

Both teams will go at it again in Fort Gibson Tuesday in a game that will start a