Cardinals
Cards WIN Championship!
Championship Playoff Round – Game 3 6/25/08:
Cardinals 13 – Pirates 11….
Here we go folks…it’s what every boy practices in his backyard until the sun goes down or ‘til the mosquito’s eat them alive…playing catch with Dad sitting on the milkcrate calling the game…”bottom of the sixth…two outs…full count…for the championship…” you know the rest. Well… 30,000 fans at Barnes Field witnessed that kind of finish against two teams that would not quit until the final out was made. On one side…the defending champion Pirates…on the other, a hungry, well coached bunch of boys dressed in red ready to swing hard and make plays! Jack Kuppens would get the nod for the birds…Joe Buckley for the bandits…two big guns armed for battle…it doesn’t get any better than this! The Pirates would land on base first…but not for long…after a well struck grounder to first, Timmy Cavanaro would tag the bag and fire to Michael Lund at second to turn the double play! A nice omen to get this bout started. However, Buccaneer Pat Holway would begin his big night with a ripped double for a ribby to put the blackshirts up 1-0 early. But the birds would answer with some fireworks of their own…beginning with Sam Rice’s lined single to drive home Chris Cohen before Timmy C. reached the plate with two men on and down 0-2 in the count…next pitch…way back….way back…it’s gone to right center field…three-run shot…Cardinals up 4-1.
The second & third innings would feature more production from the Cardinals Ryan Mckeon (2 for 4) including a solo-shot to left…Kuppens (2 for 3) including a solo-shot to Norwell in the fifth…Chris Lund…base hit & two runs scored…Michael Lund (2 for 4) with two rib-eyes…Connor Green timely walk and scoring the ultimate game winning run off a Kuppens double…Joe Deyeso played a great left field and battled hard at the plate including a clutch walk…Justin Fein continued to show his luster at the plate and good glove skills in right including a sweet catch to end an inning…Evan Canney brought his playoff game to right to soak up the experience that will carry him far in the two seasons ahead of him…what a team!
So here we are…back in the yard…birds up 13-4 heading into the sixth…time for some “relief”….hold-on…this is for a title and the bounty hunters in black know how to score some loot...fast! And did they ever….how about 5 runs in the blink of a parrot…RRRRRRRRRRmatey! 13-9 with a runner on…NO Outs! It’s Show-time baby…Manager McKeon signals to first base with a two-finger tap on the left arm…Timmy C. swallows his gum and heads to the hill…Dad screams silently….”NOT NOW!” Here we are….first batter up…shiver me timbers matey…it’s the one-eyed base bandit…Black Beard Holway. After getting ahead of the bandit…Holway waves his sword and bam..two-run shot to left center to bring the Buccaneers within 2…down 13-11….NO OUTS! Cavanaro dug deep…kicked the white off the rubber and got to work..next batter…three strikes…one down…next up grounder to short…two down….next up, Pat Federle steals the show with a 50-pitch walk to keep the drama alive followed by a bouncey dribbler that causes trouble at second…two on for the top of the order…TC gets ahead quick 0-2….takes a stroll around the belt and wipes his brow…he looks and deals…swing…a short pop-up to center…catch made…Championship in hand…Cards WIN…what a memory!
Special thanks to Manager Jim McKeon…Coaches Chris Lund, Jeff Cohen, and Paul Canney….what a season…best of luck to all of our Williamsport Players, including our own Cardinals…Jack Kuppens, Ryan McKeon and Chris Cohen…great job boys…keep it rolling…have a great summer everyone!
Championship Playoff Round – Game 2 6/22/08:
Pirates 11 – Cardinals 4
The stage is set for round two of the championship bout between the defending title holder and the feisty feathered flock that has aspirations of flying their own flag in centerfield. On the hill, it’s Jeff Powers vs. Chris Lund. Both pitchers fired well…but the aggressive bats of the Pirates led the charge early in this contest and Mr. Powers would throw a jewel of a game at the birds…keeping them off-base all night. A few sparks of life were emitted from the red-shirts…including nice at bats by the rooks Canney and Fein with a nice hit by Evan…overall a better game by the blackshirts…including one long ball over the batting cage by Tommy Powers! Log this one under: “Pirates Lock-up Series”
Lund Bros.Incorporated!!! M. Lund on the mound, C. Lund at the hot-corner, there's no getting away from them (or their dad!!)
Jack Kuppens about to cross home plate after yet another clutch round-tripper.
The Rangers had no answer for Kuppens the whole series!!
Evan Canney getting the NOT steal sign from Coach Lund!
2008 Cardinal All-Stars!!! 6 Cards shined brightly this year:
Jack Kuppens, Chris Cohen, Timmy Cavanaro, Chris Lund, Ryan McKeon and Charlie Michalowski (missing from photo)
2008 Cardinals: Back Row: Manager, Jim McKeon, Asst. Coach, Jeff Cohen
3rd Row: Chris Cohen, Chris Lund, Tim Cavanaro, Jack Kuppens, Connor Green,
Coach, Chris Lund
2nd Row: Michael Lund, Justin Fein, Joe Deyeso, Evan Canney, Ryan McKeon
Front Row: Mascot, Matthew Lund, Sam Rice (missing from photo, Charlie Michalowski)
(Ryan McKeon smashes another double off the fence vs Rangers in game 2)
(Chris Cohen pitches a gem vs the Rangers in game 2)
("playoffs, playoffs?, did you say playoffs")
Game 1: Championship Series: Cardinal 17 Pirates 11
Cards take 1-0 lead in championship series!
The 2008 championship series started out with bang! There were no early jitters in this one. The Pirates came ready to play led by the "bash brothers" Tommy Ryan and Tommy Powers . Powers doubled off the wall and the Pirates jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead. But the Cards also came ready to rumble getting their first 5 runners on base . With the timely hitting of Chris Cohen and Timmy Cavanaro , the Cards took the lead 3 – 2. The Pirate defense took over and the Red Birds left with bases loaded. The Pirates were again up to the task and came back to score 5 runs in the second with Joe Buckley leading the charge with a double . The Cards tried to make a run but were thwarted by good defense and once again left the bases loaded in the second. The third inning brought 2 more runs from the Pirates who seemed to be sailing along. However the winds of change were in the air and the Birds began to soar --and soar they did ! Led by timely walks of Joseph Deyeso, Justin Fein and Even Canney - Chris Cohen delivered a single that started the barrage of 14 unanswered runs - which included great hitting by Justin Fein , Timmy Cavanaro and a mammoth grand slam by Jack Kuppens. The Red Birds were not to be denied. Timmy Cavanero came in relief and pitched a 5 strikeout gem. The rock solid defense of Ryan McKeon, Michael Lund and Chris Lund behind the plate help the birds defend their nest from those Pirate poachers.
Next Game: Saturday 6/21/08 – Championship Playoff Round - Game No. 1 vs. Pirates at Barnes Field
CARDS TAKE THE ALAMO, FIGHT PAST RANGERS AND ADVANCE TO COHASSET MAJOR LEAGUE WORLD SERIES!!!!
Playoff Round No. 2 – Game 3 6/19/08: Cardinals 11 – Rangers 8…
Here we go….a decisive Game 3 for a shot at the title round…Durant vs Kuppens at the belt (almost sounds like a pay-per-view fight) …a true heavyweight bout! This was worth every piece of Bazooka in your pocket…workplaces around the Commonwealth were once again understaffed due to the exodus of anxious parents racing to Barnes Field to catch the fading glimpse of magic we know as Little League baseball…Diamond Dandy….Field of Screams….Bases Loaded with Fun…it has it all! And this one was no different…Cards jump out to a three run lead off Jack K’s two run shot to bring him and Mckeon home…followed by Timmy C’s first of a game-high three crossing’s of home plate after his first of two dazzling drives for doubles off the fence…Kuppens would pitch four strong innings before handing over the keys to Lund Bros. Incorporated…more on that later…base occupation by 8 of 9 players…hits across the board…solid defense and smart base running….good baseball all around…but a few moments would rise above the rest, including Evan Canney’s “at-bat of the ages”…a 17-pitch walk that included three broken windshields and a few lawn ornaments with two outs to keep his club not only alive but ultimately lead to the game winning run as he crossed home plate for the ninth run off Kuppens’ triple in the fifth….wow! Add to that Justin Fein’s gritty two out single to keep things alive earlier in the fifth…and boy did we need those runs…as we all expected, the Rangers would not settle for less than a fifth inning – five run rally to get within one run heading into the sixth…but the birds would settle-not themselves…more damage..TC with a lead-off double…Micheal Lund with a Racer X run to force a bobbled throw to first, which set up Chris ‘Clutch” Cohen to send one deep to bring his boys home for a nice umbrella policy to help his team to victory. But hold on folks…we’re heading into the bottom of the sixth with a mere three run lead…that can vanish quickly in this environment…especially with the top of the order coming up that includes All-Star selections in the first FIVE spots! FEAR NOT, I say…Mighty Mike is on the wayyyyyyyy...how about dropping a ten-spot pitch count for a ground-out, pop-out, and strike-out…in that order…he did it again folks…of course with a little help from big bro with a beauty of a grab in foul territory to seal the second out…nice catch Chris! Let’s keep this fire burning boys!
Playoff Round No. 2 – Game 2 6/15/08: Cardinals 8 – Rangers 2
What more could a father want on Father’s Day than to watch his son play a Little League Playoff Game?! NOTHING, I say….and this was simply a fine game to watch…Mickey Barry pitched a dandy of a 5-inning 83 pitch game and both teams played great defense…but the birds had a little more flutter in their feathers than last night…for starters, our starter was lights out! Chris Cohen delivered the finest Father’s Day Gift of all to his baseball crazed padre…a one-hit, 81 pitch, absolute gem of a game wrapped up with two singles and three runs scored…Ryan handed his red-hatted old man a three double decker sandwich himself…Kuppens re-gifted a homerun to pops…and Michael “love ‘em” Lund handed his dad the keys to his victory ride right into Game 3…sporting “Lucky 12” of course….notables…Chris Lund 2 for 3 with two runs scored…Thomas Gilliat’s blast to Freedom…this is fun!
Playoff Round No. 2 – Game 1 6/14/08: Rangers 13 – Cardinals 4
A long…wonderful 30 hours of baseball bliss that included tons of fun under the sun and stars ended with a thump! The birds simply crash landed into the outfield off the All-Star Scoreboard to drop their first outing against a potent team of Rangers that kicked the crud out of the redshirts to jump out to a 1-0 lead in the series. The Harrison’s…Durant and Martin combined to baffle the birds all night with their tricky zing-balls that produced a handful of strikeouts to match their solid defense to keep the birds off balance…early bedtime tonite folks…tomorrow is another day….a few notables…TC was the only player on both teams to not log an out at the plate…3 walks a hit and run scored…Mckeon’s nice double off the fence…Rookies Fein and Canny…good at-bats…Terrance Doonan hit a nice three run shot to put the game away.
CARDINALS SWEEP FIRST ROUND OF PLAYOFFS 2-0 VS DODGERS!!!
NEXT UP: RANGERS IN ROUND 2
Playoff Game 2 – 6/11/08:
Cardinals 25 – Dodgers 2
The score says it all...a hit parade around the lineup…another great night of pitching from starter Chris Cohen and reliever Michael Lund…terrific stuff all game…maintaining low pitch counts backed up with solid defense. Some highlights…TC’s first home-run…Chris Lund’s third HR…Jack K’s many-eth HR…and most of all seeing Charlie Michalowski’s smile in the dugout…we hope to see Charlie back in a red-shirt soon! Congrats go out to the 2008 All-Star selections from the Cardinals...Timmy Cavanaro…Chris Cohen…Jack Kuppens…Chris Lund…Ryan McKeon…Charlie Michalowski…nice job boys!
Playoff Game 1 – 6/8/08:
Cardinals 13 – Dodgers 7
The weather wasn’t the only thing heating up tonite…it’s PLAY-off time baby…when the grass gets a little tighter…the stakes are high and every pitch counts! And boy did Jack “Special K” Kuppens make every one count…a full five innings pitched to leave his boys with a 12-run advantage heading into the last inning… For the first five it was all red around the bases…top to bottom…the birds had a balanced attack from McKeon at the top right through the order. Sam Rice…caught a whale of a game behind home…with his bat still smoking hot…right around the bases we go…Timmy C. at first with one nasty shovel hand to compliment a 3 for 4 night with the crackless bat…Ryan McKeon at second…with some nifty at-bats and a few trips across home…Michael Lund at short with one “out of reach” stab for a key second to fend of a Dodger drive and oh yeah, a ball striker…Chris Cohen at third with a tremendous all around game on both sides of the ball…the rookies in right….Justin Fein & Evan Canney provide a nice defensive front to keep those Devilish Dodger hitters honest…Chris “Blades” Lund…big stick…good glove…one tough dude…Joey D….how about that Manny scoop in the sixth for out number two! But those Dodgers have quite a list of their own that include one talented band of players…patient hitters and some strong arms…Sam Asnault pitched well and sent one deep on his classmate…thankfully Monty has strong skull genes to recover from errant throws…valiant comeback from a solid Dodger lineup that never says die
Game 14 – 6/8/08: Mets 25 – Cardinals 16
Back to the gridiron with this one…it’s not often that a baseball team scores sixteen runs and loses by nine! Lots of fireworks on this “face of the sun” barn burner…Ryan “Gone Deep” McKeon put himself in the big-daddy league with his first round tripper of the season…his proud Pappy had no trouble figuring out whether to send him home on that one…Michael Lund pitched well at the outset and had some great at-bats to keep his hitting streak alive…Evan Canny poked a nice double to center field…and Mr. “K” ruffled some tree limbs over the Swim Center…but overall…the Mets had a little more fuel in their flame throwers…with a hit parade that showered runs all over the birds nest…how about 18 in one inning….yikes…those kids can play. But fear not Cardinal Nation…the birds will be back to take flight in the PLAY-offs!
Game 13 – 6/7/08: Cardinals 14 – Red Sox 6
The Birds jumped out to out to a quick lead against the hometown team with some masterful pitching by Jack-of-all-trades Kuppens…Timmy C. cranked a nice two-strike double to the opposite field to drive a pair of runs….Connor Green played some nifty third and had some nice production at the plate…Joe Deyeso continued his on-base prowess to keep the bases occupied…Ben Rice has maintained his steady diet of stroke-the-ball sandwiches all season to pepper the outfield with line-drive hits for production…but this one was ultimately the Lund Family Picnic….and the dish of the day was Home-run Salad for Chris and Base-hit Soup with Pop-fly Catching bean dip for Michael…what a tandem folks!
GAME REPORTS:
Game 12 – 6/3/08: New England Patriot Rangers 31 – Cardinals 15
The only thing missing from this one was snow covered turf and fans with painted bellies…Gillette Barnes Field was home to one long slow burn of a game that saw a bicentennial pitch count for the redbirds that included some fine work by the redshirt rookie Evan “Canned Heat” Canney who wizzed some nice passes to his receiver behind home plate. The birds would bounce back with an eight point touchdown in the final minutes after burning their last timeout…but the Rangers had done their damage by this point…kudos to Rodney Harrison Durant for his three sacks of home plate…
June 1, 2008
GAME 11: CARDINALS 21-PIRATES 12
After 12 games, if there is one-thing opponents are saying about the Cardinals, it’s that no lead is safe!
Once again facing an early deficit (8-1 in the first) the Cardinals came roaring back against the Pirates and didn’t stop until they had rung up an 21-12 victory in 5 innings that was called due to darkness and the fact the scoreboard was in danger of blowing a fuse!
After scoring only 3 runs against the Mets in losing effort on Saturday night, the "redbirds" were fighting each other to get to the batters box on Sunday. Even though they were missing their version of the Big Three (Michalowski, Cavanaro and Rice) the Cards never missed a beat. And this time it was the new guys that got things going, with Connor Green (2 hits) Justin Fein (2 hits) and Evan Canney (3 hits) starting rallies, keeping rallies going and just circling the base paths. And it seemed like Joe D was on base all night long keeping his OBP well above 1000.
The veterans weren’t going to let the kids have all the fun, Chris Cohen keeps tempting the home run gods with a deep drive off the fence in right, along with 2 other doubles. Ryan McKeon was the backbone behind the plate and in the dugout; never letting the “birds” get down on themselves, he continued his hot streak at the plate and showed what leadership is all about. And while Jack Kuppens continues to just annihilate the ball, tonight was all about his “D”. He bailed Michael Lund out of a key jam in the 3rd, ranging deep behind 3rd base from shortstop to make an unbelievable stab and doubling off the runner on 2nd. Not satisfied with that, the big J pitched 1 + 1/3 scoreless innings to nail down the save for Lund.
And speaking of the brothers Lund, they’re a whole lot more fun than the brothers Grimm! Michael Lund bounced back after a rough first inning on the mound to basically keep the Pirates in check for the next 2 2/3 innings to pick up the win. And this Pirate team can certainly hammer the horsehide, Matty Froio had a couple of big hits and Tommy Powers hit a shot that made a couple of orbits around the moon before finally landing on the cage in left. Chris Lund let his bat do the talking (unlike his dad!), sending frozen ropes all night long to the outfield.
This was a team win all around and no doubt inspired by the in game visit from Charlie Michalowski. Everyone is rooting for Charlie’s speedy recovery from his unfortunate concussion
With just 3 games left on the docket, the Cards hope to run the table, finish over .500 and go into the playoffs with some momentum.
(Editors note: Our regular correspondent John (Irving) Cavanaro will be back on the case this week delivering his more entertaining and certainly more concise reports)
Game 9 – 5/24/08:
Dodgers 22 – Cardinals 20
In the spirit of Championship Lacrosse Weekend….the birds and the blue bombers put on a goal-fest of their own in this free-for-all of a shoot out that left no box unfilled in either scorebook….the usual suspects had their hand in this one…Kuppens, Mantleowski & Rice together needed a police detail at home plate to handle the traffic….count them …12 runs combined….McKeon, Cavanaro & Deyeso all had multiple crossings themselves…Cohen tossed the rock well in relief and had a great night with the bat as well…Evan Canney kept his head in the game all night, including one off the noggin’ to reach base. Connor Green continues to stroke the ball well and held down the fort at third. But those Dodgers won their share of face-offs and loosened the defense with their steady attack and shifty middie-infielders….and oh did they bring their long-sticks to hurl a few gilman’s into the opposite field…Max-lax sent one deep for a hat-trick ribby early…Colin Whaled-em found his corner pockets all night…and the freshman attackman Matty Monty-few-goal had his share of success throughout the match. Overall, a well played….and poorly played….and oddly played…and long played….match of some sport it was!
Game 8 – 5/20/08:
Cardinals 16 – Red Sox 0
Not much to say…lots of red…big game with a few big hits…including a dose of the Kuppens-Michalowski equation …{(2 x long balls) = one snowman}…how about Justin Fein’s trip around the bases for an in-the-park E-4,5,6,7,8….a tough night for the Olde Towne Team…file this one under “Birds wear out socks…”
Game 6 – 5/17/08:
Cardinals 5 – Dodgers 4
Another 6th inning nail biter…back to back tight ones that ended with the redbirds on the good side of the scoreboard. Another solid night at the plate with contributions from a host of high flying ball strikers...including game ball recipients Joe Deyeso and Connor Green for their multi-base wallops to put their boys in a position to win. Jack K. pitched another strong outing during a steady dose of rain…and made a beauty of a diving snag to deny Connor Hayden from a base hit…Chris Cohen continues to punish the ball…good for a two & three bagger…Michael Lund had another stellar night that included a pair of doubles and two runs scored,,,and how about that “Manny-slide” around the tag at home…Justin Fein & Evan Canney continue to have solid outings in the field to shore up the ever important defense to make plays when their team needs it…TC had a nice night to go 3 for 3 with 2 ribby’s and a run scored...followed up with two strong innings in relief to close out the one run game with the bases loaded to strike out the last batter for the victory…must have been that sliding screw knuckle gyro ham sandwich that Coach Lund was teaching him! Overall, a solid performance by both clubs with some great plays…some of which included Colin Whelan’s beauty of an over-the-head, running backwards catch at the warning track…and of course Sam Asnault’s solid five innings on the hill. Let’s keep this mojo rising boys!
Game 6 – 5/17/08:
Cardinals 4 – Mets 3
Wow…this is just what the doctor ordered…a solid team performance by the redshirts against a great Mets team that featured some terrific pitching and hitting by both clubs. Let’s begin with the starter’s…Ryan McKeon vs. Tommy (Gun) O’Brien…it was a duel through two…with the Mets ahead 1-0 after Brendan O’C scored on a Liam Burke double only to be knotted up with a McKeon score from Timmy C’s blast up the middle to even up it up at one apiece after two. The Mets answered again in the third with a second long ball by Liam Burke that carried deep into Freedom Field to bring two runs home to put the blueshirts ahead 3-1. But these birds weren’t resting in their nesting…more solid pitching by the feathered flock, including seven strikeouts in the last three innings. The relief trio of Kuppens, Cavanaro and Lund was very effective to log some key outs to keep their boys in the game, including one masterful 5-pitch performance by Michael (Big Game) Lund. But this game was all about making plays when we needed them…and swinging the bat at some good pitches. Down 3-1…bottom of the sixth….Sammy Ballgame gets things started with a one-out walk, followed by one beauty of a double by Chris Cohen (that was nearly a miraculous catch) to put the tying run in scoring position. Next up: Charlie Mick gets a two-out walk…next….Jack (my grounders will hurt you if your not careful) Kuppens drives home a run to knot it up at 3-3 with 2 outs…runners on 1st & 3rd…next…Joey Diamond takes one off the ring finger to load ‘em up for the boy whose dad has the keys to this carnival ride and has been pulling all the right levers all night…walks to the plate…Ryan goes down love two against the hard-throwing righty “BOC Gas” that is getting faster with every pitch…he sets…and deals…bam…deep shot to fence….it’s a Walk Off to put this one in the dub-yeh column….great game Mets …outstanding finish to a splendid performance by both benches!
Game 5 – 5/16/08:
Pirates 13 - Cardinals 5
Simply a cold, rainy, cloudy day….both on and off the field… The birds struggled to take flight against this band of one-eyed batters…which included a stormy second inning that brought 8 blackshirts across the plate. Good hitters often make contact with good pitches…and Charlie threw many fine pitches that were hit by many fine hitters. We had a few nice pokes of own…Mr. K sent his second round-tripper of the season over the fence…Chris Cohen had a nice three-bagger…and Ryan McKeon, Chris Lund & Sam Rice each hit for extra bases for a little spark in the campfire. Some good signs of defense, including a few nice snatches in the infield and a great run save by Sam I Am with the tag at home. The birds continue to score runs…averaging 8 runs a game….with decent pitching….a little tighter defense and a few more base runners can swing things around in a hurry…keep those wings flappin’ boys…and you shall soar!
Game 4 – 5/13/08:
Pirates 8 - Cardinals 6
Shiver me timbers matey…the one-eyed bandits are back to steal your bases and raid your home (plate)….But the redshirts were ready to tustle with this crew for diamond supremacy…Sam (I don’t eat Brown) Rice took the mound for a great start to keep the booty boys at bay and prevented any nest fires early. The pitching would remain strong all night with Michael (they don’t get classier) Lund in relief for two innings of hard-throwing, bullet-dropping nastiness that kept the blackshirts guessing all night…followed up with a mix of lefty magic from Tea Sea Cavanaro to keep it in reach for comeback potential. Another valiant effort in the 6th inched the birds closer to victory…but some less than tidy moves all game long kept this one out of reach…overall, some decent signs of life…good hustle on the 1st base line by Evan Canney, Chris Cohen, Joe Deyeso, and Justin Fein to force some tough throws that led to base occupancy…spectacular two-base rope by Sammy Sosa…and some nice defense by Ryan McKeon allowed the birds to hang around…but in the end, just not enough to overcome the deficit…keep your beaks high…the season is young!
Game 3 – 5/10/08: Rangers 9 - Cardinals 7
The flock is off to a fluttering start early in the season as they get their wings clipped in another close match-up against the powerhouse Rangers. Jack KKKKKuppens started things off nicely for the birds with a strong pair of innings on the hill sprinkled with a few special K’s to see his feathered friends tip toe to a 1-0 lead after his own dandy double to centerfield. Sam Rice would power the K-man home with a nice two-out single of his own to put the birds ahead early….but these Airborne Rangers take kindly to putting the ball where the Cards weren’t…and sometimes were…only to move themselves into scoring position time an time again….opportune base running combined with some timely hits led the Rangers to romp in the 3rd with a 9-run…13 batter field day! But these birds didn’t flee the coop…Charlie Mantle Ruth Williams settled things down in the nest with some great relief pitching, run scored and a clutch late game hit to rally in the 6th…Connor Green kept his hot bat alive for another great hit…but the late charge was nipped by the Rangers with good defense to pluck a runner at home to close it out for the blue shirts….ouch.
Game 2 – 5/8/08:
Red Sox 12 - Cardinals 10
This one was littered with highlights from start to finish…where to begin? Let’s start with some patient at bats by the entire Cardinal team that led to ten walks over the course of the game…which was a feat in itself against some very strong pitching by the Red Sox all night…they threw their Irish Law Firm of Haggerty, Buckley and Coggins to challenge our boys all night. But the Birds had a pair of aces to beat a full house of their own that hail from a well entrenched baseball gene pool…you know we mean the loveable Lund Brothers…what a tandem…Michael & Chris hurled well for their flock! The Cards entered the bottom of the third down by a run before Charlie Mantle drove one deep for his first big league homer in the nest. Charlie caught a great game behind the plate as well. Chris Cohen brought his fish net to shortstop for a dazzling display of three out magic in the 5th…Connor Green had a great hit and scored a run. Our big man Jack K sent one to Sohier Street for his first round tripper of the season, which shifted the momentum to the birds to go up 6-4…only to be followed up with a nice single by Ryan McKeon up the gap…and then….the…shot….of …the…night….you know it baby…the boy whose dad doesn’t know when to say when…Chris “Big Gun” Lund took one look at his dad on third and said….”I know one way to make sure he makes the right call…take matters into my own hands…” Way back…way back…deep to left centerfield…it’s gone for a two-run shot…Cards up 10-4 going into the 6th….but we were playing the most storied franchise in all of sports….the Red Sox…who can blame us for slipping a bit down the stretch. Simply a great finish to a Little League game…a clutch come back with lots of runs and some tremendous at-bats by a very well coached group of kids. A long inning for the Cards…whose comeback attempt was thwarted by a nice double play by Chris Haggerty at second….until next time.
Game 1 versus the Dodgers (May 1)......What a difference a year makes….same opponent…same field…same lopsided score…different winner. This time last year, the Cards were hammered by the boys in blue to the tune of 12-2 in the season opener…but times hava’ changed. There are some new sheriff’s with shiny red hats and big bright smiles lurking the sidelines…and the kids in red were seeing beach balls tonite. Ryan McKeon lit ‘em up quick with a three bagger and two runs; Chris Cohen went 2-3, with a ribby, run scored, and tackle at home; Sam Rice smacked a nice double that was hit so hard it bounced off a tree and bonked him in the knee; Chris Lund welcomed himself home for a pair of runs; Choo-choo Charlie cruised down the track with some solid pitching…a little b-i-n-g-o…and a pair of runs scored…but it was a pair of rookies that showed some nice grit out of the gate that put this one over the finish line for the birds…Justin Fein pitched a great inning of relief to retire a bases loaded rally; and Joe DeYeso brought his big league bat to fire a two bag shot to center field that drove in a pair in a big second inning that put this one out of reach for the boys in blue. But don’t let the score fool you…this Dodger team is loaded with talent and they will be a force to reckon with for sure this season…Charlie B. pitched well in relief…Connor Hayden had a nice hit and the big guy Steven Maher tuned up the Cards pitching for a pair of nice hits to keep his team alive. A good start to what promises to be a great season of fun on the diamond!