Front Royal Cardinals: Road Trip Roundup

The Front Royal Cardinals spent two nights on the road this week, facing the Winchester Royals on Tuesday night, and the Strasburg Express on Wednesday. Both were close, hard-fought games, but the Cardinals weren’t able to add to their win column. In Winchester, a solid start by Cardinals starting pitcher Sean Miller, and a home run by center fielder Trip Willis, his second of the season, kept the game close through the fourth inning. The Royals took a decisive lead in the fifth inning and the Cardinals weren’t able to catch up. On Wednesday, despite solid Cardinals pitching, who accumulated 14 strike outs during the game, and Tre Dabney’s second home run of the season, the Express walked off the Cardinals in grand fashion, with a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning. The feat erased the Cardinals one-run lead to end the game.

Coach Hurla recognized that his team for their persistent battle mentality. Of the Strasburg loss, Hurla said, “Tonight was a really tough loss. The guys really battled. I’m proud of that. Our inability to make pitches late in the game just really put us in bad situations, and Strasburg took advantage of that.”

Off to a tough start this season, the Cardinals roster has been thinned by early injuries . They introduced three new players this week, hoping to fill some of those gaps. Tre Dabney, an infielder from James Madison University, infused the team with offense, already batting .333 with two home runs in his six games with the Cardinals. Brody Shoupe, a catcher from Moorehead State University, entered his college baseball career rated as the second-best catcher in Kentucky, according to Perfect Game and Prep Baseball Report. He will give catcher Eastman Waterman a well-deserved break behind the plate. Matt Cooper, a utility player from Clemson University, will give the Cardinals flexibility in multiple positions, and is expected to be a game changer for the team.

The Cardinals continue this week’s play at home tonight, against the Covington Lumberjacks, looking to avenge a loss to the Jacks earlier this month. Tomorrow, the Cardinals host the Royals at Bing Crosby Stadium. Both games begin at 7:00 pm.