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View & Buy State Tournament Photos at http://russellvillesports.com/baseballgal.html
July 25, 2006 - 07:30 PM --
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Cardinals Cap Awesome State Tournament with 2nd Place Finish
July 21, 2006 - 11:55 PM --
After defeating Hector 7-2 in the first game of a double-header, the Cardinals tried to do it again in the State Championship Final game. Down 4-0 early, the Cardinals battled back just as they have all year to trail by one 6-5 after 5 innings. The game ended with the tying run on 3rd and the winning run at the plate.
Back to back home runs in the 1st inning gave Hector a 4-0 lead. With 1 out in the 2nd, Cardinals' 3rd baseman Alex Mitchell went way back onto the outfield grass to make a difficult catch look easy on a blooper down the 3rd base line by Hector leadoff hitter Trent Mosley. In the 4th with one out, Cardinals' cleanup hitter Ian Mayfield singled, stole 2nd and 3rd, and scored on Alex Mitchell's single to cut the lead to 4-1. Hector added 2 more runs in the 4th for a 6-1 lead. In the 5th, Cardinals' right fielder Josh Sunwall started a rally with a single to left field and scored on a double to the center field fence by leadoff batter Dale Abraham for a 6-2 score. After Donovan Mills drew a walk, Abraham stole home on a 3rd strike that the catcher missed to make it 6-3. Clutch hitter Alex Mitchell cut the lead to one at 6-5 when he doubled to shallow right to score Mills and Mayfield. In the bottom of the 5th, Hector cleanup hitter Matt Pruitt was thrown out at 3rd when catcher Ian Mayfield threw to Alex Mitchell to thwart the steal attempt for out number 2 of the inning. The Cardinals threatened once more in the 6th when pinch runner James Simms, representing the tying run, stole 2nd and 3rd and was in position to score when the game ended.
Alex Mitchell had a game high 3 hits on 3 for 3 hitting, and Dale Abraham added 2 hits. RBI leaders were Alex Mitchell with 3, and Abraham and Mayfield had 1 each. Simms, Sunwall, Abraham, and Mayfield had the most stolen bases in the game with 2 each. Mayfield scored twice for the Cardinals, and Abraham, Sunwall, and Mills scored once.
The Cardinals finished the State Tournament in 2nd place with a 7-2 record. Both losses were by one run and both were to teams that the Cardinals defeated in the State Tournament. The Cardinals defeated Hector 7-2 and the Dardanelle Tigers 3-2. The Cardinals finished a marvelous season as Little Oaks Champions with a 4-0 record, Reel League Champions at 17-0, District Champions at 4-1, State Runner-Up at 7-2, and had an overall record of 28-3, excluding pre-season games played under non AABA rules.
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Cardinals Stun Hector 7-2 To Force Final State Championship Game
July 21, 2006 - 11:55 PM --
The Cardinals jumped out to an early 3 run lead and stunned Hector 7-2. Donovan Mills pitched a masterful game and let his strong defense work for him. Mills, pitching in his 2nd State Championship game, walked none, allowed 5 hits, and struck out 5 on the way to getting a complete game win. The visiting Cardinals got the scoring started when shortstop Alex Mitchell forced in Mills on a bases loaded walk. Jared Staton worked to a full count before walking to score Brandon Schmidt. First baseman Zach Mitchell hit a shot to right field to score Mayfield and give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead. Hector leadoff hitter Trent Mosley scored in the bottom of the 1st, but Hector's threat was ended on a double play by Cardinals' center fielder Dale Abraham. Hector 3rd baseman Cole Allen hit a deep line drive, but Abraham used his speed to run it down at the fence on a spectacular play that saved 2 runs. After the catch, Abraham threw to shortstop Donovan Mills at 2nd base to catch Hector 1st baseman Austin Colburn off base and end the Hector threat. Cardinals' 2nd baseman Jordan Deaton scored in the 2nd on a single from Schmidt to give the Cardinals a 4-1 lead. Hector brought in their hard-throwing ace #14 Matt Pruitt to pitch in the top of the 3rd. With 1 on and 1 out in the 3rd, Cardinals' 3rd baseman Brandon Schmidt gloved a hard grounder to retire Hector 2nd batter Clint Rook. Then, center fielder Dale Abraham caught a high fly ball at the right-center field fence from Hector's Colburn to end the inning. After Hector cleanup hitter Matt Pruitt homered to lead off the 4th, Cardinals' 2nd baseman Jordan Deaton made a big play when he caught a grounder in the hole behind first to retire Hector hitter Cole Allen for out number 1. Pitcher Mills fielded a bunt down the 1st base line and made an off-balance throw to Zach Mitchell at 1st for the 2nd out. With 1 out in the 5th, Cardinals' shortstop Alex Mitchell fielded a hot 2 hopper and made a good throw to 1st to rob leadoff hitter Mosley of a hit and keep the score at 4-2 Cardinals. With one out, leadoff hitter Abraham, after fouling off 5 pitches, was hit in the leg by Hector pitcher Pruitt. Mills followed with a single. After Schmidt reached base, catcher Mayfield doubled to deep right-center to score Mills and give the Cardinals a 6-2 lead. Alex Mitchell rounded out the scoring with an RBI single to right field for a 7-2 Cardianls' advantage. With one out in the 6th, Cardinals' left fielder Jared Staton made an outstanding play to catch a deep fly on the foul line at the fence to rob Pruitt of a hit. The outstanding defensive player of the game was Dale Abraham, who made 3 difficult catches in center field. The Cardinal offense was paced by Donovan Mills who went 4 for 4, with a double and 3 singles, and Zach Mitchell, who had 3 singles on 3 for 3 hitting. The stolen base leaders were Mills with 3, Schmidt with 2, and Abraham with 1. Mills and Schmidt both scored twice for the Cardinals. With the win, the Cardinals knocked Hector from the ranks of the unbeaten and forced a final State Championship Game to be played at 8:00 pm today.
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Cardinal Win Semi-Final 4-3 in Heart-Stopper in Extra Innings
July 20, 2006 - 11:40 PM --
In the State Tournament semi-final game against Mt. Vernon, the Cardinals once again refused to lose. The game had everything, including huge momentum swings, questionable calls, big play after big play, but mainly excitement and heroes. In the 1st inning, Cardinals' right fielder Josh Sunwall made a super catch near the fence on a long drive from Mt. Vernon catcher Kyle Brewer for the 2nd out of the inning. In the Cardinals' 1st, Donovan Mills hit a one out single and advanced to 2nd on a balk and 3rd on a stolen base. Brandon Schmidt got the RBI single to score Mills for a 1-0 Cardinals lead. In the 2nd, Mt. Vernon cleanup hitter Jonathan Shadell hit one to the right field fence, but he was retired by hustle and a great throw from Sunwall to cutoff man Mills who threw to 3rd base where Schmidt applied the tag for the 1st out of the inning. Catcher Ian Mayfield made the final out of the inning by making an outstanding catch on a popup between home and the pitcher's mound to retire Mt. Vernon's first baseman Cody Masterson. With an out in the 3rd, pitcher Alex Mitchell fanned Mt. Vernon's right fielder Zac Kilpatrick on a nice curve over the outside corner of the plate. Mt. Vernon scored 2 in the 4th to take a 2-1 lead. With the same score and 1 out in the 6th, the Cardinals' Ian Mayfield drew a walk and stole 2nd base. Then, with 2 outs and the pressure on, Cardinals' left fielder Jared Staton launched a towering home run over the left-center field fence to put the Cardinals up 3-2. Mt. Vernon's Kyle Brewer scored to tie the game in the bottom of the 6th. Cardinals' first baseman Zach Mitchell made a game-saving stop on a grounder down the line that took a bad hop from Mt. Vernon's Cameron Caudill and stepped on 1st to send the game into extra innings. The Cardinals' Jordan Deaton got a 1 out triple on a shot to the right field fence. With 2 outs, Relief pitcher Brandon Schmidt smashed a line drive to the center field fence that allowed Deaton to score the go-ahead run. Left fielder Jared Staton made a spectacular defensive play when he was in position to back up a throw to 3rd and then threw a stike to catcher Ian Mayfield at home plate to make the game-ending out and prevent Mt. Vernon's Zac Kilpatrick from tying the game. Ian Mayfield led the Cardinals with 2 stolen bases, and Brandon Schmidt added one. Schmidt had a game high 2 hits and struck out 4 in relief to get the win. Starting pitcher Alex Mitchell held Mt. Vernon to 2 hits while striking out 4 and walking none. The Cardinals now advance to the State Championship game against Hector tomorrow at 6:00 in Dover. It will be the Cardinals fifth game in 7 days, all on the road.
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Cardiac Cardinals Do It Again!
July 18, 2006 - 08:25 PM --
In one of the best-played games of the State Tournament by both teams, the Cardinals used great team work to rally from a 2-0 deficit to prevail in the last inning 3-2 over a tough Dardanelle Tigers team. Donovan Mills went the distance for the Cardinals. Mills walked 2, hit 2 batters, and allowed only 2 hits in a super performance that was aided by a strong defense. The Cardinals were led by Brandon Schmidt with 2 RBIs and Josh Sunwall with 1. Alex Mitchell had 3 stolen bases to pace the Cardinals, and James Simms, Ian Mayfield, and Brandon Schmidt added 1 each. Leading the game with 2 hits each were Zach Mitchell and Schmidt. The 3 Cardinals' runs were scored by Mills, Schmidt, and Alex Mitchell. With 1 out in the top of the 1st inning, the Tigers took the lead 1-0 when shortstop Dusty Darr homered to center field. Next, Tigers' pitcher Aaron Hughes leaned over the plate to let a curve ball graze his shirt to get on base. Cardinals' pitcher Mills was able to knock down a grounder up the middle and retire Tigers' cleanup hitter Landon Whorton at 1st for the 2nd out of the inning. Tigers' left fielder Jordan Hull knocked in Hughes to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead. With no outs in the 2nd inning, Cardinals' shortstop Alex Mitchell played the bounce perfectly from Tigers' 1st baseman Bo James and threw to 1st for the out. Cardinals' catcher Ian Mayfield ended the inning by making a fine catch on a foul ball near the 1st base dugout from Tigers' leadoff hitter Daniel Coates. In the 3rd, the Tigers' Hughes again leaned into a pitch to get on base with 1 out. Cardinals' 2nd baseman Jordan Deaton then made the defensive play of the game on a hard grounder from cleaup hitter Landon Whorton. Deaton tagged Hughes who was trying to advance to 2nd and threw to Zach Mitchell at 1st for the inning ending double play. With 2 outs in the bottom of the 3rd, Cardinals' 2nd hitter Mills doubled to the left field fence. Then Brandon Schmidt smashed a game-tying home run into the parking lot beyond the center field fence. It was his first career home run and it couldn't have come at a better time for the Cardinals. The Tigers had one on and 2 outs in the 4th when Mills made a good play on a high hopper toward 1st and was able to make the throw to 1st to end the inning. With the score tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the 6th, Cardinals' shortstop Alex Mitchell beat out an infield single on a great hustle play and stole 2nd to move into scoring position. Zach Mitchell then hit a rocket up the middle to put runners on 1st and 3rd. James Simms entered as a pinch runner at 1st and stole 2nd base. Cardinals' right fielder Josh Sunwall got his biggest hit of the year to drive in Alex Mitchell for the winning run when he turned on a pitch and drove it right between the 1st and 2nd basemen. The throw to the plate was late and the Cardinals won another heart-stopper 3-2. The Tigers finished in 4th place in the State. The Cardinals now get a much needed day off before taking on Mt. Vernon in the final of the losers' bracket at 7:00 pm on Thursday, July 20 in Dover.
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Cardinals Come From Behind to Down Bulldogs 8-1
July 17, 2006 - 08:15 PM --
The Cardinals advanced to the State Tournament's Final Four with a comeback victory over the Plumerville Bulldogs on Monday. The Bulldogs led 1-0 going into the 5th inning, but the Cardinals took the lead with a 6 run rally. Pitcher Brandon Schmidt went the distance for the Cardinals to get the win while allowing only 1 run and striking out 10. In the top of the 1st, Cardinals' catcher Ian Mayfield made a great throw to 3rd baseman Alex Mitchell to nail the Bulldogs' Austin Zinser who was trying to steal 3rd base for the 1st out of the inning. The Bulldogs took the lead 1-0 when left fielder Taylor Garrett homered to center field. With 1 out in the 3rd, Cardinals' 1st baseman Zach Mitchell made an outstanding play when he blocked and controlled a low throw after a strikeout to retire Taylor. In the 4th with one on, Cardinals' 3rd baseman Alex Mitchell made an excellent play by charging a dribbler down the line and making an accurate throw to 1st to get Bulldogs' 1st baseman Juwaan Trezvant and end the inning. To start the 5th, the Cardinals' Zach Mitchell led off with a single to the left field fence. Pinch runner James Simms advanced to 2nd on a Josh Sunwall single, and Jordan Deaton reached base on a bunt. Sunwall tied the game at 1-1 on a hot grounder up the middle by leadoff man Dale Abraham. After Donovan Mills received a walk, Brandon Schmidt doubled up the middle to score Deaton and Abraham and put the Cardinals up for the first time 3-1. Cleanup slugger Ian Mayfield singled between 3rd and short to load the bases, and Alex Mitchell knocked in Mills for a 4-1 Cardinals' lead. Still with only one out, left fielder Jared Staton widened the margin to 6-1 when he bounced one over the center field fence for a ground rule double and 2 RBIs. In the Bulldogs' half of the 5th, Cardinals' shortstop Alex Mitchell stretched to snag a high one-hopper off the bat of the Bulldogs' Corbit Williams for the 1st out of the inning. Cardinals' ace Brandon Schmidt fanned the Bulldogs' leadoff hitter Austin Zinser with mean curve ball to close out the inning. The Cardinals added 2 more insurance runs on back to back doubles to the center field fence from Abraham and Mills and an RBI infield single by Alex Mitchell. The RBI leaders with 2 each were Jared Staton, Alex Mitchell, and Brandon Schmidt. Deaton, Abraham, Mills, and Alex Mitchell each had a stolen base. The Cardinals will get another shot at the Dardanelle Tigers tomorrow at 6pm at Dover. The Tigers gave the Cardinals their only loss of the State Tournament 5-4 last week.
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Cardinals Eliminate Lions from State Tournament 13-3
July 15, 2006 - 05:35 PM --
On a sweltering 100+ degree day, the Cardinals stayed focused and run-ruled the Lions in 5 innings at Lovelady Field in Dover. Cardinals' pitcher Alex Mitchell held the Lions scoreless in 2 innings to pick up the win. Reliever Donovan Mills struck out 9 in 3 innings to get the save while allowing 4 hits and 2 walks. Two Cardinals, Ian Mayfield and Josh Sunwall, reached base safely on every trip to the plate. Mayfield had a single and two doubles, and Sunwall had a base on balls and a game-ending RBI single. Alex Mitchell was the RBI leader with 4, and Ian Mayfield added 3. Dale Abraham scored a game high 3 times. Donovan Mills was the stolen base leader with 3, and Abraham, Jared Staton, and Josh Sunwall had 2 each. Cleanup hitter Ian Mayfield had the most hits in the game with 3. The Cardinals had several teriffic defensive plays in the game. In the 1st inning, Cardinals' second baseman Jordan Deaton fielded a screaming one-hopper and threw Lions' 2nd batter Courtney Daniels out at 1st base for the 2nd out of the inning. Pitcher Alex Mitchell ended the inning by striking out Lions' cleanup hitter Joseph Harris on 3 pitches, ending with a wicked curve ball. In the 2nd with 1 out, catcher Ian Mayfield caught the Lions' Deshon Pride off 3rd base. Mayfield chased Pride halfway down the line and threw to 3rd baseman Brandon Schmidt. Schmidt chased Pride toward home and threw to pitcher Alex Mitchell who was covering home. Mitchell ran Pride toward 3rd and threw to shortstop Donovan Mills who had slid over to cover 3rd, and Mills was able to tag Pride for the 2nd out. The next play was similar when the Lions' Calvin Wilbon was caught in a rundown by Mayfield. This time it was Mayfield to Schmidt to Mitchell who tagged Wilbon at the plate to end the inning. With no outs and 2 on in the 3rd, Cardinals' pitcher Donovan Mills struck out 3 in a row to retire the side, including the number two, three, and four hitters. With 1 out, Mills struck out the Lions' BJ Washington on an "equator ball" that broke nearly a foot to get the important 2nd out of the inning. On offense in the 5th inning, Cardinals' right fielder Josh Sunwall singled to left-center to score Alex Mitchell and give the Cardinals a 10 run lead to end the game. With the win, the Cardinals improve their record to 3-1 in the State Tournament and become 1 of only 6 teams left. The Cardinals will take on District 6 champion Plumerville on Monday, July 17th at 6pm for a chance to advance to the Final Four.
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Red Birds Soar Over Cubs 20-3
In their 3rd State Tournament game, the Cardinals hung tough for 3 innings, and then exploded for 6 runs in the 4th and 11 in the 5th to eliminate the Cubs. Brandon Schmidt pitched a solid game to get the win, pitching a 2 hitter and striking out 10 in 4 innings. Reliever Alex Mitchell struck out 2 in one inning of work to earn the save. The Cardinals' Brandon Schmidt led all base runners with 5 steals and scored 4 runs. Ian Mayfield added 4, and Jared Staton and Jordan Deaton had 3 each. Schmidt and Mayfield also had a game high 3 hits, each going 3 for 3. Schmidt had a triple and two doubles, while Mayfield had a triple and two singles. Right fielder James Simms reached base safely on both trips to the plate, drawing walks and scoring twice. Donovan Mills led the team with 5 RBIs. Defensively, the Cardinals had two outstanding plays. With 1 out in the 2nd inning, catcher Ian Mayfield made a perfect throw to 3rd baseman Jared Staton to throw out the Cubs' Clay Ketzcher on an attempted steal. Pitcher Brandon Schmidt then struck out 6 Cubs in the 3rd and 4th innings. With 1 out in the 5th, Mayfield threw on the money to shortstop Donovan Mills to retire Cubs' right fielder Kevin Chamberlin on a steal attempt. At bat in the 1st inning, the Cardinals' Brandon Schmidt got a one out walk. After Schmidt stole 2nd and 3rd, Ian Mayfield singled to right to put the Cardinals up 1-0. Cardinals' left fielder Alex Mitchell grounded up the middle to score Mayfield and give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. Cubs' 3rd baseman Chris Revas homered in the bottom of the 1st to tie the game at 2. With 2 outs in the 3rd, Schmidt doubled to right field, and scored the go-ahead run on a single to right by Mayfield. The turning point in the game came with 2 out in the Cardinals' half of the 4th. After falling behind in the count 0-2, Cardinals' second baseman Jordan Deaton battled to foul off 5 pitches to force Cubs' ace Chris Revas to throw 11 pitches before receiving a walk. Jacob Cranford stole 2nd and 3rd, and scored on a single to left field by Donovan Mills to start the scoring. After two more hits by Schmit and Mayfield, the Cardinals had a 9-2 lead. A tired Revas was pulled after throwing 43 pitches in the 4th. Cubs' cleanup hitter Ryan Weng went deep for a solo home run in the bottom of the 4th to cut the lead to 9-3. With one out in the 5th, James Simms on 3rd, and Dale Abraham on 2nd, Donovan Mills crushed a 3 run shot into the parking lot beyond the center field fence for his first career home run. This put the Cards up 14-3 and put the game out of reach of a Cubs comeback. With the victory, the Cardinals advance into the Elite 8 and become one of only 8 teams left in the State Tournament. The Cardinals will face a familiar team in the Lions on Saturday, July 15th, at 4:00pm at Lovelady Field in Dover.
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Tigers Upset Cardinals 5-4 in State 2nd Round
July 11, 2006 - 11:05 PM --
The Cardinals were upset by the Dardanelle Tigers in a hard-fought game in the State 2nd Round by a score of 5-4. Cardinals' pitcher Donovan Mills pitched the complete game and only allowed 2 hits, 2 walks, and had 9 strikeouts. Cardinals' Leadoff hitter Dale Abraham started the game by using his blazing speed to beat out an infield single. Abraham stole 2nd, and Brandon Schmidt drew a walk. Abhram then stole 3rd, and Schmidt stole 2nd. Alex Mitchell doubled to center field to score Abraham and Schmidt to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. In the top of the 6th with the Cardinals trailing 5-2, Donovan Mills walked to lead off the inning. Brandon Schmidt lined a shot to center, but was retired on a great catch by the Tigers' Ben Cook. Mills stole second and Ian Mayfield walked to put the tying run at the plate. After a double steal to put runners at 2nd and 3rd, Alex Mitchell doubled to center field to score Mills and Mayfield to cut the lead to 1 at 5-4. Cardinals' center fielder Dale Abraham made the defensive play of the game on an unbelievable circus catch of a hard line drive that was dropping fast from Tigers' hitter Dusty Nair. The ball hit on the wrist of Abraham's outstretched glove hand and he was somehow able to control it to retire Nair for the 2nd out of the 5th inning. The Cardinals' offensive player of the game was Alex Mitchell, who went 2 for 3 to lead the team with 4 RBIs on 2 doubles. Dale Abraham went 2 for 3, scored a run, and had 2 stolen bases in doing a super job in his first game at leadoff. Brandon Schmidt was the stolen base leader with 3, and Donovan Mills, along with Abraham, had 2. The Cardinals next game will be Thursday, July 13th, at 8:00pm at Dover when they take on the Sardis Cubs.
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Cardinals Edge Sharks 3-2 in Opening Round of State
July 7, 2006 - 11:30 PM --
The Cardinals opened the State Tournament with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the Atkins Sharks. Cardinals pitcher Brandon Schmidt may have saved his best game of the season for State. Schmidt struck out an unbelievable 16 Sharks in 6 innings of work to pick up the complete game victory. Second baseman Jordan Deaton made the defensive play of the game when he caught a hard bouncer to retire the Sharks' big cleanup hitter Hunter Johnsten for the 1st out of the 6th inning. On offense with one out in the top of the 1st, Dale Abraham used his great speed to beat out an infield single. Then Abraham, again using his wheels, advanced to 2nd on an infield hit by Brandon Schmidt. Abraham and Schmidt caught the Sharks off guard by pulling off a double steal after a strikeout to advance into scoring position. Alex Mitchell came through with a double to right field to score Abraham and Schmidt to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. In the 4th with the score knotted at 2-2, the Cardinals' Josh Sunwall singled and stole 2nd and 3rd. Sunwall scored the go ahead run on a one-out sacrifice by Jordan Deaton for a 3-2 Cardinal lead. Jared Staton was the only Cardinal to reach base safely on every turn at bat, going 2-2 and adding a base on balls. The RBI leaders for the Cardinals were Alex Mitchell with 2 and Jordan Deaton with 1. Josh Sunwall had a game high 3 stolen bases, and Alex Mitchell added 2. Hit leaders with 2 each were Jordan Deaton, Jared Staton, and Alex Mitchell. The Cardinals now advance to play a second round game against the 1st seed from District 4, Dardanelle Ever So Fast, who defeated District 7 #3 Southside Bee Branch in the first round. Game time is Tuesday, July 11, at 8:00pm in Dover.
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Cardinal Headed For State!
July 7, 2006 - 09:15 AM --
The Cardinals begin State Tournament play at 8:00 pm on Friday, July 7th, in Dover. Their first round opponent is the Atkins Sharks. The winner will play on July 11th at 8:00 pm against the winner of Dardanelle Ever So Fast and Southside Bee Branch. The two losing teams will face off on Saturday, July 8th, at 8:00 pm.
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Cardinals Win District Championship!
June 16, 2006 - 10:30 PM --
The Cardinals capped an outstanding district tournament by run-ruling the Mudhens, their arch-rival, 13-2, in another come from behind win in the championship game. Starting pitcher Donovan Mills had just pitched 3 inning in relief in the first game of the double-header, but was able to hold the Mudhens to 2 runs on 3 hits in 2 1/3 innings of work to get the win. Brandon Schmidt, who had pitched 6 innings in a 3-1 victory over the Lions the previous day, allowed no runs and no hits in 2 2/3 innings. Schmidt picked up the save. With no outs in the 2nd inning, Cardinal shortstop Alex Mitchell made a lunging stop on a hot grounder to retire the Mudhens' Garrett Hand at first. With 1 out and the bases loaded in the 3rd inning, Brandon Schmidt came in in relief and held the Mudhens scoreless. Schmidt got cleanup hitter John Strange to pop up an outside curve and 1st baseman Zach Mitchell made a super play to catch the ball in the air for out number two. Then Alex Mitchell, now playing 3rd base, made an outstanding catch on a line drive for the final out of the inning. In the 4th inning, Zach Mitchell made a difficult catch on a hard grounder to 1st and retired the Mudhens' Garrett Hand for the 1st out of the inning. Schmidt then struck out the Mudhens' Glidden and Smith to close out the 4th inning. Offensively, the Cardinals exploded, scoring in every inning for a total of 13 runs. Trailing 1-0 in the 1st, back to back singles by Dale Abraham and Brandon Schmidt put 2 runners in scoring position for the Cardinals. Cleanup hitter Ian Mayfield singled in Abhraham to tie the game, and Schmidt stole home to give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. In the 2nd, James Simms drew a one out walk, and leadoff batter Donovan Mills beat out an infield single to advance Simms to 2nd. Simms stole 3rd and scored on a screamer to the center field fence by Dale Abraham to put the Cardinals up 3-1. Mills made it 4-1 when he stole home. With the score 4-2 in the 3rd and the bases loaded, Simms singled to score Alex Mitchell for a 5-2 Cardinal lead. The Cardinals widened the margin in the 4th when Abraham scored on a liner down the 3rd base line by Schmidt for a double. Schmidt stole home to make it 7-2 Cardinals. The highlight of the game came in the 5th with 2 outs and the bases loaded. Catcher Ian Mayfield crushed a pitch into the trees over the center field fence for a grand-slam home run to put the Cardinals up 11-2. Zach Mitchell then doubled off the left field fence to score brother Alex for a 12-2 lead. Pinch runner Jacob Cranford stole 3rd and scored on a single to left by Jared Staton for a 13-2 lead. The RBI leader for the Cardinals was Ian Mayfield with 5. James Simms added 2 RBIs. Brandon Schmidt led the team with 4 stolen bases, and James Simms, Alex Mitchell, Dale Abraham and Donovan Mills had 2 each. Abraham and Mayfield each had a game-high 3 hits. Abraham was 3 for 3, with 2 singles and a double. Zach Mitchell had 2 doubles on 2 for 3 hitting. With the win, the Cardinals are the 2006 District Champions and will travel to Dover to play on Friday, July 7 in the opening round of the State Tournament.
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Cardinals Hold Off Mudhens To Force Deciding Game
June 16, 2006 - 06:00 PM --
In an elimination game for the Cardinals, they came from behind to beat the Mudhens 7-5 and earned the right to play the Mudhens again in a final District championship game. Alex Mitchell started at pitcher for the Cardinals and only allowed 2 hits in three strong innings. Reliever Donovan Mills pitched 3 innings to get the win. With 2 outs in the top of the 1st, the Mudhens took the lead 1-0 when cleanup batter John Strange singled to right field to score leadoff hitter Kaleb Jones from 2nd. Strange scored on a bases loaded walk to Garrett Hand to put the Mudhens up 2-0. On a trick play, the Mudhens tried to sneak Brandon Sandage home by letting him walk right behind Strange, but Cardinals catcher Ian Mayfield alertly tagged Sandage out to end the Mudhens' half of the 1st. The Cardinals failed to score in the bottom of the 1st. Cardinals shortstop Donovan Mills backhanded a hard shot in the hole and made the off-balance throw to 1st to retire the Mudhens' Jordan Smith for the first out of the 2nd inning. Cardinals pitcher Alex Mitchell robbed Tyler Loftus of a hit when he stopped a ball up the middle and made the throw to brother Zach at first for the 2nd out. Cardinals second baseman Jordan Deaton made a great stop on a high, hard bouncer off the bat of leadoff hitter Kaleb Jones to retire the side. In the bottom of the 2nd, the Cardinals Ian Mayfield led off with a double to the left field wall. After a double to left field by Alex Mitchell, Mayfield scored on a single to left by Zach Mitchell to cut the Mudhens' lead to 2-1. Jordan Deaton drove in Alex Mitchell on a hard line drive to left field to tie the game at 2-2. In the 3rd, the Mudhens' Mikele Summons led off with a single. Cardinals 1st baseman Zach Mitchell scooped a throw out of the dirt just in time to retire the Mudhens' Justin Glidden for the 1st out of the inning. Summons stole home to put the Mudhens up 3-2. In the bottom of the 3rd, the Cardinals' Brandon Schmidt led off with a single and stole 2nd and 3rd to move into scoring position. Left fielder Jared Staton scored Schmidt on a grounder to 2nd to tie the game at 3-3. Mudhens' catcher Stoney Stevens led off the 4th with a single. Third baseman Alex Mitchell made a fine stop on a hit by Garrett Hand and threw him out at first, and Zach Mitchell made a perfect throw back to 3rd to throw out Stevens to complete a double play. Cardinals' pitcher Donovan Mills struck out Jordan Smith to end the inning. With one out in the Cardinals' 4th, Jordon Deaton singled to left-center field and stole 2nd. Cardinals' right fielder James Simms lined to right to move Deaton into scoring position at 3rd. Deaton scored the go-ahead run on a hard shot to the right field wall by leadoff hitter Donovan Mills. With 2 outs and 2 on, Brandon Schmidt blasted a line drive double to the center field fence to score Simms and Mills for a 6-3 Cardinal lead. Ian Mayfield doubled off the center field fence to score Schmidt for a 7-3 lead. Cardinal pitcher Donovan Mills struck out three in the top of the 5th. The Cardinals also failed to score in the 5th and took a 7-3 lead into the 6th. With a runner on 1st and no outs, Cardinals' 2nd baseman Jordan Deaton fielded a grounder from the Mudhens' Stoney Stevens and tagged out Brandon Sandage, who was attempting to advance to 2nd. Deaton caught a hot grounder from Garrett Hand and made the throw in time to 1st for the 2nd out of the inning, but John Strange scored on the play to make the score 7-4 Cardinals. Stevens scored on a blooper to center field by Jordan Smith for a 7-5 score. Donovan Mills then struck out Tyler Loftus to secure the win for the Cardinals. Brandon Schmidt had 2 RBIs and 2 stolen bases to lead the Cardinals in those catagories. Jordan Deaton, Zach Mitchell, Ian Mayfield, Brandon Schmidt, and Donovan Mills had a game high 2 hits each. With the win, the Cardinals will face the Mudhens again in the District Championship game.
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Check out the state tournament information under Links
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Cardinals Clinch State Bid With Win Over Lions!
June 14, 2006 - 10:10 PM --
With a 3-1 comeback win over the Lions, the Cardinals clinched a spot in the State Tournament. The Lions took the lead in the top of the 4th, but the Cardinals tied it in the bottom half of the inning and added 2 more in the 5th for the win. The Cardinal defense kept them in the game with several big plays. With no outs in the 1st inning, catcher Ian Mayfield made a perfect throw to shortstop Donovan Mills to catch Lions' leadoff hitter David Golden on an steal attempt. Then, with 2 outs, third baseman Jared Staton fielded a hard bouncer from Lions' cleanup batter Joseph Harris and threw him out at first to end the Lions' threat. After a leadoff double by the Lions' Deshon Pride in the 2nd, Cardinal pitcher Brandon Schmidt fanned the next 3 Lions to end the inning. In the 3rd, Cardinal first baseman Zach Mitchell made an excellent play to control a grounder that took a bad hop and made the unassisted out on the Lions' Golden for the second out of the inning. With 1 out in the 4th, catcher Ian Mayfield teamed up with 3rd baseman Jared Staton to throw out the Lions' Calvin Wilbon on a steal attempt. Pitcher Brandon Schmidt struck out 3 Lions in the 6th, including power hitter Deshon Pride, to end the game. In a superior performance, Schmidt struck out 12 and went the distance for the Cardinals. Alex Mitchell had a game leading 2 stolen bases. Mitchell, James Simms, and Brandon Schmidt each scored once for the Cardinals. In the 4th with 2 outs and the bases empty, Alex Mitchell singled to left field and then stole 2nd and 3rd. Mitchell scored the tying run on a single to right field by his brother Zach. With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 5th, pinch hitter Davonte Hokes drew a leadoff walk. Pinch runner James Simms stole 2nd to move into scoring position. Then, with 2 outs, Simms scored the go ahead run on a hit to left field from Cardinal RBI leader Brandon Schmidt. Schmidt stole 2nd and scored on a hard shot down the left field line by cleanup hitter Ian Mayfield to put the Cardinals up 3-1. With the win, the Cardinals clinched a trip to State and will face the Mudhens tomorrow night at 6:00 in the District Championship game.
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Try link to calendar showing district games and results
Click on Links on the Menu on the left side of the screen, then choose Calendar Showing Records or go directly to
http://calendar.yahoo.com/thegators2003
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Mudhens Stop Cardinals Win Streak at 18
June 12, 2006 - 10:15 PM --
In a game dominated by pitching and defense, the Cardinals managed just 3 hits to the Mudhens 4, and fell in a heartbreaker 2-1. Donovan Mills gave up 2 runs to the Mudhens in 5 innings of work, and Alex Mitchell held the Mudhens scoreless in the 6th inning. In the 1st inning with one out, the Mudhens' second hitter Mikele Summons went deep to left field for a solo home run to make the score 1-0. Then Cardinal first baseman Zach Mitchell made a super pickup on a ball thrown in the dirt to retire the Mudhens' Tim Dunlap. In the 2nd, third baseman Jared Staton made an excellent stop and threw out Mudhens' leadoff batter Travis Godfrey at first to end the inning. With 2 out in the 4th, second baseman Jordan Deaton knocked down a grounder and stayed with it to retire the Mudhens' Stoney Stevens at first to retire the side. The most outstanding defensive play of the game was made in the 5th inning with no outs and the Mudhen's Godfrey on 3rd base. Left fielder Jared Staton made an outstanding catch on a deep line drive to retire Summons, then threw to catcher Ian Mayfield at home. The throw was perfectly lined up and rolled up the back and over the shoulder of Godfrey. Mayfield blocked Godfrey from the plate and made an unbelievable catch to tag him out. In the 6th inning, Cardinal reliever Alex Mitchell struck out the side to keep the Mudhens lead at 2-0. Offensively, Ian Mayfield scored the Cardinals only run in the 6th when he drew a leadoff walk and stole 2nd, 3rd, and home to lead the Cardinals with 3 steals. Jordan Deaton was the only Cardinal to reach base safely twice in the game, working the pitcher for a walk on both trips to the plate. James Simms and Davonte Hokes both reached base on their sole plate appearance, each drawing walks. Dale Abraham, Alex Mitchell, and Donovan Mills each had one of the Cardinals 3 hits. On Thursday night at 6:00, the Cardinals will play the the winner of Tuesday's 6:00 game between the Red Sox and Lions in an elimination game. The winner of Thursday's game will qualify for the State Tournament and earn the right to play in the District finals against the Mudhens.
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Cardinals Open District Play with Win Over Red Sox
June 10, 2006 - 08:00 PM --
After earning a bye in the first round of District play, the Cardinals defeated the Red Sox 12-2 on Saturday in their first game. The Cardinals scored 9 in the first inning and coasted the rest of the way to the victory. The Red Sox, who had defeated the Lions in the first round, will face the Robinson in an elimination game tonight at 8:00. The Cardinal bats were on fire as they opened the game with 7 consecutive hits. Brandon Schmidt had a double and two singles on 3 for 3 hitting to lead the Cardinals. Jordan Deaton and Dale Abraham had a game high 2 RBIs each. Donovan Mills led the team with three stolen bases and scored 3 runs. Brandon Schmidt pitched 4 innings to get the win and Donovan Mills went the final inning to get the save. Defensively, the Cardinals made several outstanding plays. In the first inning, shortstop Donovan Mills made a nice stop on a hard bouncer to retire the Red Sox' Michael Haun for the second out. In the 2nd inning, second baseman Jordan Deaton made a double play when he picked up a grounder, tagged the runner, and threw to Zach Mitchell at first to retire Red Sox hitter J.D. Campbell. With 2 out in the 5th, third baseman Alex Mitchell snagged a grounder and threw out Sox pinch hitter Chris Gall to retire the side. At 6:00 on Monday, the Cardinals will face the winner of the 2:00 pm game today between the Mudhens and Cubs in the finals of the winner's bracket.
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New Link Added Showing Game by Game Record
June 5, 2006 - 12:00 PM --
http://calendar.yahoo.com/thegators2003
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Cardinals Finish Perfect Season 17-0!
June 3, 2006 - 03:30 PM --
The last regular season game of the season almost wasn't played. The Bulldogs had many of their starters missing from their lineup and only suited up 9 players. The Cardinals shuffled their lineup, but the game was still stopped before the Cardinals finished batting in the 2nd inning with the score 20-0 Cardinals. Pitcher Alex Mitchell (5-0) struck out three in his second no-hitter of the season and got the complete game win, his first of the season. In the first inning with no outs, Mitchell made a good play on a ball hit back to the mound by the Bulldogs' Jacob P. to force him out at 2nd base. Then catcher Ian Mayfield caught Bulldog leadoff hitter Garrett attempting to steal 3rd for the second out of the inning. The 3rd out was made by first baseman Zach Mitchell when he fielded a bad throw at first and was still able to make the out on the Bulldogs' Jake C. Offensively, James Simms and Zach Mitchell led the Cardinals with 3 RBIs each, Simms also had 2 hits, a walk, 2 stolen bases, and scored twice on 2 for 2 hitting. Zach Mitchell, Donovan Mills, and Alex Mitchell each had a game-high 5 stolen bases. Jared Staton was 2 for 2, scored 3 runs, and had 4 stolen bases. Jordan Deaton had a single and a double on 2 for 3 hitting and scored a run. Jared Staton and Zach Mitchell each scored 3 times to lead the Cardinals. With the win, the Cardinals finished the season 17-0 and will wait for the district tournament brackets to be announced early next week. Of the most concern to the Cardinals is Josh Sunwall, who was injured on Friday. Sunwall was diagnosed with a cracked collar bone and will be out 2 to 4 weeks. The Cardinals will be without Sunwall for the district tournament, but hope he will return to the starting lineup for the state tournament if the team qualifies with a top two finish in district.
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District Tournament Starts Friday, June 9th
June 3, 2006 - 03:45 PM --
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Cardinals Clinch League Championship!
June 2, 2006 - 09:30 PM --
The Cubs only trailed 2-0 after 2 innings, but the Cardinals finally shook off the rust from a nine day layoff and won 9-0 for their 5th shutout in a row. Brandon Schmidt (7-0) pitched brilliantly, striking out 13 and one-hitting the Cubs to get the win in his 4th complete game of the season. In the 3rd inning, Schmidt struck out the side. The Cardinals had several outstanding defensive plays in the game. With one out in the first inning, center fielder Dale Abraham made a perfect throw from the fence to shortstop Donovan Mills, who tagged out the Cubs' Chris who was trying to stretch a single into a double. Zach Mitchell made a nice play in the second inning on a grounder down the first base line to retire the Cubs' Blake. Then in the 5th with no outs, Mitchell dug out a low throw at first to just get the out on Blake again. In the 6th inning, second baseman Jordan Deaton made a fine stop on a grounder in the hole behind first and made the out at first on the Cubs' Chris. Offensively, the Cardinals were led by Brandon Schmidt, who went 3 for 3 with a single and two doubles, and had 3 RBIs. Ian Mayfield also had 3 RBIs, with a double and a triple. Dale Abraham was the stolen base leader with 7 in the game. Cardinals outfielder Josh Sunwall injured his arm or shoulder and left the game in the 3rd inning to receive medical attention. With the playoffs one week away, the Cardinals can't afford to lose Sunwall and are hoping for good news on his diagnosis. With one regular season game left tomorrow against the Bulldogs, the Cardinals are 16-0 and clinched the league championship with the win.
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Cardinals Blank Storm
May 23, 2006 - 07:45 PM --
The Cardinals used a solid defense and agressive base-running to shut out the Storm and get the road victory 11-0. The Cardinals stole 22 bases in the game. Alex Mitchell only allowed one hit and struck out 6 in three innings to get the win. Donovan Mills pitched one inning in relief to pick up the save. Josh Sunwall, who reached base safely on every at bat, was the offensive player of the game. He had a game high 4 stolen bases, scored 2 runs, and added a single and an RBI to go along with 2 walks. Dale Abraham and Brandon Schmidt led the team with 2 RBIs each. Zach Mitchell, Donovan Mills, and Alex Mitchell each had 3 stolen bases. With the Cardinals leading 3-0 in the 2nd inning, James Simms stole 2nd base and scored on a line shot off the center field fence by Dale Abraham. Abraham went 3 for 4, and led the Cardinals with 3 hits. The Cardinals had several superb defensive plays in the game. In the 1st inning, second baseman Brandon Schmidt made a fine stop on a grounder and threw to shortstop Donovan Mills to get the force out at second on Storm leadoff hitter Tyler E. In the 3rd inning, pitcher Alex Mitchell struck out 3 to retire the Storm. In the final inning, reliever Donovan Mills snagged a hot shot back at the mound off the bat of Storm hitter Austin W. and made the out to Zach Mitchell at 1st. Then, with an 0-2 count, he retired Ryan I. with a nasty off-speed curve ball for the second out of the inning. After completing a tough stretch of 4 games in 6 days, the Cardinals will get a well deserved 9 day break over the long Memorial Day weekend. With 2 games left, the Cardinals stand atop the league with a 15-0 record. The next game will be on the road at Sardis against the Cubs.
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Cardinals Get Second No-Hitter
May 22, 2006 - 08:00 PM --
After a slow start, the Cardinal bats came alive for 17 hits in a 17-0 victory over the Astros. Brandon Schmidt struck out 5 in route to his first no-hitter of the season. The Astros' Dalton led off the first with a hard bouncer to Jared Staton at 3rd, who handled it easily for the out. In the 2nd inning, catcher Ian Mayfield fired a strike to shortstop Donovan Mills to catch the Astros' Bryan on his attempt to steal 2nd base. Schmidt then struck out the Astros' Dylan on a nasty changeup pitch for the 3rd out of the inning. In the 3rd, Zach Mitchell made a nice catch on a short fly near first base for the second out. On offense, Dale Abraham and Zach Mitchell went 3 for 3 to lead the team. Mitchell had 2 doubles and a single, scored twice, had 2 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases. Abraham, along with Alex Mitchell, had a game high 4 RBIs each. Abraham was the stolen base leader with 5. The Cardinals improved their record to 14-0 with only 3 games left in the season and will visit the Storm next.
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Tenative District Start Date June 10
May 20, 2006 --
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Cardinals Shut Out Red Sox!
May 19, 2006 - 07:30 PM --
Unlike the April 26th game with the Red Sox that the Cardinals won in the bottom of the 6th, this one wasn't close. Winning pitcher Donovan Mills, with the help of an outstanding defense, went the distance for the Cardinals. Mills struck out the side in the first inning on 10 pitches. Dale Abraham made the defensive play of the game when he caught a fly to shallow center off the bat of Zac Monday. With no outs in the 4th, right fielder James Simms made a super over the shoulder catch on a long drive by Red Sox hitter Dickerson. Then second baseman Josh Sunwall made an incredible stop on a high, hard bouncer in the hole behind first base to retire London for out number two of the inning. Offensively, Zach Mitchell led the team with a double and a triple, and 3 RBIs. Davonte Hokes added 2 RBIs on a shot off the center field fence in the 2nd inning. Brandon Schmidt also had 2 RBIs and scored a run. Three Cardinals had 5 steals each: Ian Mayfield, Dale Abraham, and Donovan Mills. Abraham, who reached base safely on every at bat, had a single, a double, and a base on balls. Jared Staton had a single and double on 2 for 3 hitting. The 13-0 score was not only the final score, but also the Cardinals league record after the win. The Cardinals are half done with their tough 4 games in 6 days stretch. They will be at home to face the Salem Astros on Monday.
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Cardinals Outlast Mudhens in Nailbiter
May 18, 2006 - 07:10 PM --
It wasn't easy, but the Cardinals advanced their record to 12-0 in a classic battle of two unbeaten rivals. The final score was 5-2, but it was a much closer game than the score indicates. After falling behind 2-0 in the 1st inning on a 2 run double by the Mudhens' Mikel Summons, the Cardinals fought back. Jared Staton got a one out double in the 2nd, and scored on a hard shot up the middle by Zach Mitchell to pull within 1 run. The Cardinals tied the score in the 3rd when Donovan Mills walked and scored on a double off the center field fence by Dale Abraham. The Cardinals added one more run in the 5th when Mills led off with a single and stole 2nd, 3rd, and home. In the 6th with one out, Alex Mitchell singled to left field. Then, on a grounder to short, Mitchell used his great speed to beat the throw to 2nd by an eyelash. Next, Davonte Hokes hit a scorcher down the third base line that went to the fence. Alex Mitchell scored on the play to make it 4-2. Jordan Deaton drew a walk to load the bases. Zach Mitchell made the score 5-2 on a bases-loaded walk by leadoff hitter Donovan Mills. Mills had a game-high 5 stolen bases. Zach Mitchell, Dale Abraham, and Alex Mitchell led the team with 2 hits each. Defensively, the Cardinals had many big plays. With the bases loaded and no outs in the 1st, catcher Ian Mayfield made an outstanding play on a throw from shortstop Donovan Mills to put out Mudhens leadoff hitter Kaleb Jones at the plate. First baseman Zach Mitchell saved 2 runs on a nice pickup on a low throw to retire the Mudhens' Brandon Sandage to end the inning. Catcher Ian Mayfield picked Kuron Summons off 1st base after a walk to end the 2nd inning. Third baseman Jared Staton ended the Mudhens' threat in the 3rd with a spectacular catch on a foul ball that was nearly out of play against the Cardinals' dugout. In the 4th, second baseman Jordan Deaton snagged a sizzler off the bat of Justin Glidden to make the out at 1st. Reliever Alex Mitchell came in in the 5th with 1 out, 2 on, and the top of the order coming up. Second baseman Deaton made another excellent stop to retire Jordan Smith at 1st for the second out. Then, Mitchell made a nice move to catch Kollin Jones off 3rd, and Schmidt threw to Mayfield at home, who tagged Jones out. In the 6th, Jared Staton made an over the shoulder catch on a long fly ball to deep left field off the bat of the Mudhens' Travis. Dale Abraham used his great speed to make a difficult catch look easy on a high fly ball near the center field fence for the 2nd out. Mitchell then struck out Garrett Hand with a breaking ball to end the game. Brandon Schmidt held the Mudhens to 2 runs on 4 hits to get his 5th win of the season, and Alex Mitchell got the save, using only 9 pitches to retire the 5 batters he faced. The Cardinals are in for another challenge tomorrow night back at home against the Red Sox.
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www.southlandcards.com is now active! Try it!
May 18, 2006 --
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Cardinals Complete Season Sweep of Eagles
May 15, 2006 - 07:40 PM --
After a scoreless 1st inning, the Cardinals offense blew the game open with a 10 run explosion in the 2nd. Jared Staton started the rally with a one out single. Then, Alex Mitchell knocked him in with a double to the left field wall to get the Cardinals rolling. The RBI leaders, with 2 each, were Dale Abraham, Zach Mitchell, and Brandon Schmidt. Leadoff hitter Donovan Mills went 3 for 3, and led the team with 4 stolen bases. Zach and Alex Mitchell both went 2 for 2, with a double and single each. The Cardinals used great defense to hold their 3rd opponent in a row scoreless. Pitcher Donovan Mills snagged a hard bouncer up the middle to retire the Eagles' Aaron for the final out of the 1st inning. Then, in the 2nd with runners on 1st and 2nd, shortstop Brandon Schmidt handled a hot grounder and threw to Jared Staton at 3rd to retire the side. With one out in the 3rd, second baseman Josh Sunwall stretched to make an incredible snag on a line drive off the bat of the Eagles' Anthony. Donovan Mills got his 4th complete game win of the season with a 5 strikeout performance. The Cardinals next game will be on the road Thursday at 7pm against the arch-rival Mudhens. The Thursday game will be the first of a tough stretch of 4 games in 6 days.
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New Game Times Announced for May 22 & June 3 - check schedule
May 13, 2006 --
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Cardinals Pitch No-Hitter vs Lions!
May 11, 2006 - 07:45 PM --
On an unseasonably cool night, Alex Mitchell and the Cardinals were hot. Mitchell and Donovan Mills combined for the Cardinals first no-hitter of the season. Mitchell struck out 5 and allowed no hits or walks in 3 innings. Mills pitched one hitless inning to get the save. Only two Lion batters reached base safely. Joseph reached on an error in the second inning, and Courtney reached on a walk in the 4th. The Cardinals offense erupted for 15 hits. Ian Mayfield went 2 for 2, and led the team with 8 stolen bases. Leading the team with 2 RBIs each were Dale Abraham, Brandon Schmidt, and Donovan Mills. Mills was 3 for 3, with two doubles and a single. Jared Staton also reached base on all three trips to the plate, with one walk and 2 singles. The Cardinals defense played a superb game as well. Jared Staton had another flawless game at 3rd base, throwing out 2 batters in the 1st inning, and another in the 2nd to set the defensive tone for the game. Also in the second inning, catcher Ian Mayfield gunned out Joseph at 2nd on a attempted steal. The Cardinals defense didn't allow a steal in the game for the first time this season. Shortstop Brandon Schmidt ended the game by catching a pop up off the bat of the Lions' BJ and turned it into an unassisted double play by tagging out the Lions' Courtney, who was unable to get back to first base. The Cardinals have a 3 day break before facing a tough 3 game week in which they will face the Eagles, Mudhens, and Red Sox.
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Cardinals Make It Two in a Row Over Cubs!
May 8, 2006 - 07:45 PM --
The Cardinals used spectacular defense to hand the Cubs their first shutout of the season. Brandon Schmidt held the Cubs to only 2 hits in route to picking up the win. Schmidt struck out 7 while issuing only 2 walks in a complete game of work. Jared Staton had two great plays in the second inning. First, he threw Thompson out at first on a ground ball to third, then teamed up with Schmidt to pick Myers off at 3rd. The third inning belonged to Donovan Mills and Alex Mitchell. On a fly ball that bounced off the fence, Mitchell made a super hustle play and a perfect throw to Mills at 2nd, who tagged Gunderman, who was trying to stretch a single into a double. Mills also retired Burks at first on a hard grounder. In the 4th, Mills made a good stop on a ball in the hole, then made a remarkable throw to 1st to retire Thompson. To start the 5th inning, Schmidt was able to get a glove on a hard shot back at him at the mound, then managed to run down the ball and make the throw to 1st just in time to get Myers out. Next, Staton did a great job of playing the hop on a scorcher to 3rd off the bat of Kitchens, then threw a strike to Mitchell at 1st. Not only did Zach Mitchell play error free ball at 1st base, but he made several excellent catches to retire runners. Ian Mayfield had another solid game behind the plate. On offense, Dale Abraham scored the first run of the game in the 3rd on an RBI triple to the center field fence from Brandon Schmidt. Then in the 4th inning, Jared Staton led off with a center field shot that hit the top of the fence. He then stole 2nd, 3rd, and home to give the Cardinals a little breathing room and a 2-0 advantage. Next, Alex Mitchell picked up an RBI on a grounder to short stop which allowed Josh Sunwall to put the Cardinals up 3-0. Also in the inning, Davonte Hokes did an excellent job as a pinch hitter for Jordan Deaton by working the count to full, then drawing a walk. Sunwall was the outstanding offensive player for the Cardinals, reaching base safely on both of his trips to the plate and scoring once. Sunwall and Staton led the team with 3 steals each. The Cardinals boosted their record to 9 wins and 0 losses and will take a couple of days off before going on the road to face the Lions on Thursday.
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Cardinals Defeat Defending State Champ Cubs 8-1
May 6, 2006 - 01:10 PM --
The Cardinals played one of their best games of the year to defeat the Cubs on Saturday in light rain and drizzle. Zac Mitchell blasted a solo home run in the 3rd inning to put the Cardinals up 7-0. Brandon Schmidt led the offense with a double and a triple, and had 3 RBIs. Josh Sunwall had a big line drive single just over the infield to knock in Ian Mayfield in the 1st inning and give the Cards a 3-0 lead. Donovan Mills pitched a complete 6 innings for the first time this year, and recorded 9 strikeouts. The Cubs hit the ball well, but were held to one run thanks to several spectacular defensive plays. In the 2nd inning, Ian Mayfield made a nice play on a foul ball to retire Thompson, and Alex Mitchell saved a run and robbed Hill of a hit on a great catch over his shoulder in right field. Dale Abraham, in the 3rd inning, made a leaping catch at the fence on a long fly ball off the bat of the Cubs' #38. Then, in the 5th inning, Jared Staton made a diving catch on a line drive to third to retire Kitchens. With the Cubs threatening with 2 on and no outs in the 6th, Ian Mayfield made a gutsy throw to Zac Mitchell at first to catch a runner in a rundown. Mitchell threw to Jordan Deaton at second, who tagged Myers out. The Cardinals don't have much time to enjoy the victory because the have to get ready for a rematch on Monday.
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Links have been added. Just click on "Links" on the menu on the left.
May 9, 2006 - 12:15 PM --
Does anyone know the location of the Sporting News Rule Book online? I'd also like to add links to other REEL League ballparks so if you know the address, please send it to me.
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Cardinals Too Much for Lions
May 1, 2006 - 07:50 PM --
After a slow start, the Cardinals exploded for 6 runs in the 2nd and 7 in the third to put an end to any upset ideas the Lions might have had. Brandon Schmidt pitched a one-hitter and struck out nine in a spectacular performance. The Cardials defense was superb as catcher Ian Mayfield threw out 3 Lions on attempted steals. Jared Staton made an outstanding catch and tag on a runner stealing 3rd in the 1st inning. In the 2nd inning, Schmidt made a great pick-off move to third, which led to Staton throwing out the runner at home, with Mayfield applying the tag. Donovan Mills led the offensive attack with a 3 for 3 performance, scoring 3 runs on 2 doubles and a single and stealing 7 bases. As a team, the Cardinals stole 29 bases, a season high. The Cardinals now get ready to face their arch rival, the Cubs. This will be a rematch of the 2004 and 2005 District finals, and the 2004 State Final.
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Cardinals Defeat Red Sox 4-3 in Thriller!
April 22, 2006 - 02:50 PM --
The Cardinals jumped out to a 2 run lead in the first inning and looked to be on their way to another double digit victory, but the Red Sox held them to 3 hits to keep it close. With the score tied at 3 in the bottom of the 6th, Dale Abraham led off the inning with a single. He stole 2nd and 3rd to put himself into scoring position. He then scored the winning run when, with 2 outs and a 2-2 count, Jared Staton delivered a pressure single to give the Cardinals the 4-3 win. Jacob Crawford made his first appearance of the year for the majors, playing left field and third base. Donovan Mills had 7 strikeouts in 4 innings of work, and Brandon Schmidt had 3 strikeouts in 2 innings to pick up the win in relief. The defensive play of the game was made when Jordan Deaton relayed a throw from Dale Abraham to Ian Mayfield at home plate, who tagged out Bowser to deny the Red Sox the go ahead run in the top of the 6th. The Cardinals, now 6-0, play host to the Mudhens next Monday after a 4 day layoff.
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