Tough loss for the Cardinals

In a game that was a battle to the very last pitch, the Cardinals fell short and lost to the Purcellville Cannons 7-8. Both pitchers started strong, and the first inning flew by with no score. Cardinal’s second baseman, Carson Bell, started the next inning with a bang, mashing a homerun to put the Cardinals on the scoreboard. The Cannons answered with two runs of their own in the home half of the inning, and the battle ensued.

The next action came in the fourth inning, when the Cardinals took advantage of a hit by first baseman, Levi Leisenring, and a couple of Cannons’ errors, to score Bell for the second time, and tie the game at 2-2. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Cannons’ Jose Aquino’s three run home run put the Cannons back in the lead. The Cardinals didn’t give up, and their next opportunity to score came in the eighth inning. Facing fresh pitchers on both teams, left fielder Jose Hernandez’s single scored Bell for the third time in this game. Not to be outdone, the Cannons also scored one in the inning, maintaining their three-run lead.

In one final push during the top of the ninth inning, the Cardinals made a steady advance, scoring four runs on four hits, finally taking a one run lead into the last three outs of the game. In the bottom of the ninth, with the bases loaded for the Cannons, Clayton Baine stroked a double to center field, winning the battle for the Cannons.

Three Cardinals batters had multiple hits on the night: Amir Wright, Trey Fields, and Levi Leisenring each had two hits. Carson Bell scored four runs during the game. Starting pitcher Kyle Choate gave the Cardinals 4.1 strong innings, striking out five batters and giving up five runs. Pitcher Peter Schuldt took the loss for the Cardinals.

Coach Hurla commented on the loss, “The guys battled back tonight and really showed some heart. It stings to not be able to pull off this comeback. A couple of injuries to the pitching staff has thinned us out, but we will keep working through it.”

The Cardinals’ next game is at home, Saturday June 15th at 7:00 pm, against the Woodstock River Bandits. Stoneburner Carter Insurance sponsors the game, and free tickets are available at their office or the Front Royal Visitor Center.