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Playoffs & League Tourney Announced
July 29, 2009 --
The Spooner Cardinals have qualified for the WBA playoffs and have now found out where they will be heading. The site is Carson Park and the opponent is the Chippewa Falls Lumberjacks. Spooner, 10-6 in the Independent league will face the Lumberjacks, 14-4 of the Chippewa Valley league. The game is scheduled for a 7:30 start on Friday August 7. Should the Cardinals win they will face the winner of Hudson and Bayside at 9:00 am Sunday, August 9.
The Independent league tournament has also been announced and Spooner will face the Seeley Mudpuppies at 9:00 pm Friday July 31. Should Spooner pick up a victory over Seeley they will face the Brill Millers Saturday at 4:00 pm.
The Redbirds would like to encourage all of their suppporters to make one last effort to cheer on their ball club. A strong fan base especially in the playoffs would be a great sign. Thanks for your support over the entire season.
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Cardinals vs Seeley = Circus
July 23, 2009 --
Amidst a comedy of errors and blown leads, the Spooner Cardinals and Seeley Mudpuppies put on an entertaining game to say the least. It was definetely not one for a baseball purist however. The two teams combined for 15+ errors (who can keep track after so many) and two devastating blown leads. The Cardinals led 7-3 entering the ninth inning when starting pitcher Josh Villella was lifted after a leadoff error and a walk left runners on first and second. Spooner then proceeded to walk three more, hit one and commit an error to allow Seeley to tie the game at 7. Spooner threatened in the bottom of the ninth when Tom Romportl singled and reached second with one out on a wild pitch. He was quickly erased though as Jeremy Bloomquist lined a shot to center and Romportl was doubled off trying to get a good jump to score.
The extra frame would provide more of the same. The Redbirds allowed three runs on multiple walks, multiple errors and poor execution. The stage was now set for another dramatic comeback. Sam Holden led off for the Cardinals with a ringing single up the middle. Jeff "Juicer" Andrea followed with a walk and Dave "Turd" Ferguson (funny name) was hit by a pitch. With no outs the Cardinals hottest hitter, Dane Graveson strolled to the plate. With a full count, Graveson rolled over one to third starting a 5-2-3 double play. What appeared to knock the wind out of the sails of the Redbirds proved not to be the final blow. Greg Bronson followed with a double scoring two and Sean Solveson blooped a single to right to score Bronson. Solveson stole second and reached third on yet another error to set the stage for Matt Daniels. Fittingly, Daniels rolled one to third where again the ball was kicked allowing the winning run to score.
The victory sets up a showdown between the Haugen Hornets and the Spooner Cardinals on Saturday, July 25th in Haugen at 7:30 pm. It is the final regular season game of the year. With a win Haugen will finish in second place, while the Cardinals would finish no worse than third with a victory. With a win coupled with a Haugen Knights victory over Brill, Spooner would finish in second in the Independent League.
The Cardinals would like to encourage all fans to come out to the park. They would also like to thank all of the sponsors for their tremendous support in 2009. Next weekend July 31, August 1 & 2 the Cardinals will be in Solon Springs for the league tournament. Please come out and support your local ball club.
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Redbirds Roll Brill; Now Sit At 9-5
July 20, 2009 --
The Spooner Cardinals were once again led by the strong pitching of Jeremy Bloomquist as they defeated the Brill Millers by a score of 6-1. Bloomquist pitched the three hit complete game victory in just under two hours. The Cardinals scored once in the fourth and put up a five spot in the fifth to cruise to victory. Brill scored once in the sixth and threatened in the seventh before Kirby Brunczlik grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Redbirds were led by the clutch two out hitting of Dane Graveson in their big fifth inning. With two outs and runners on sedcond and third, Graveson laced a line drive to left to score two. Five consecutive Cardinals reached on four hits and an error to blow the game open. The six runs were more than enough for Bloomquist as he closed the door from there.
With the victory the Cardinals have punched their ticket to a playoff berth. Spooner finishes the regular season in Haugen facing the Seeley Mudpuppies at 7:30 on Wednesday, July 22, 2009. They will then wrap up the regular season with the Haugen Hornets at 7:30 on Saturday, July 25, 2009. The Redbirds need to win out and get a little help from Independent League winner, the Haugen Knights in order to finish second. The Knights wrap up the season with Brill who holds a one game lead over the Cardinals.
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Redbirds Sweep Weekend Series; Improve League Record To 8-5
July 14, 2009 --
The Spooner Cardinals took care of business in a critical weekend of Independent League play. On Saturday the Redbirds defeated the St. Croix Ravens 8-5 to split the season series with the Ravens. On Sunday they tangled with the Siren Steelers and earned a 18-0 victory. Jeremy Bloomquist earned the victory agaist the Ravens with Tom Romportl earning the save. On Sunday Dane Graveson pitched a one hitter through six before flamethrowing Jeff "Juicer" Andrea came in to slam the door in the seventh. Juicer made his season debut in a very intense atmosphere.
The weekend sweep improves the Cardinals to 8-5 in Indy League play with three games remaining. On Saturday July 18th the Cardinals will take on the Brill Millers in Spooner. On Sunday the Redbirds are scheduled to play Seeley, also in Spooner. The Seeley game is in question right now as they have been unavailable to contact in recent weeks. They have informed us that they are hosting a tournament and are unable to attend. Rescheduling has been near impossible as their is no answering machine at the Seeley contact. We will keep you posted with any updates for Seeley but as of today they are scheduled to appear in Spooner on July 19th at 1:00 pm.
Please come out to park to enjoy some Independent League baseball.
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Knights Avenge Last Years Loss, Cruise To Victory In Spooner
July 8, 2009 --
The Spooner Cardinals drastically hurt the Knights chances of an Independent League Title last season and were trying to do the same in 2009. It would not be the case however, as the Knights scored a pair of runs in the first three innings off of starting pitcher Josh Villella to take an early 6-0 lead. Jeremy Bloomquist came in to calm the storm for the Cardinals but in the end it was too little too late as the Knights rolled to an 8-0 victory. Spooner had chances in the middle innings to sneak back into the game but could not come up with any timely hitting off of Knights hurler Dan Linsdey.
The Knights pulled to a two game lead over the Brill Millers in the league standings as Brill dropped a one run game to the Haugen Hornets. The Knights are now 11-0 followed by Brill at 9-2. The Redbirds remain in playoff contention at 6-5. On Saturday July 11th the Cardinals will host the St. Croix Ravens in Spooner at 1:00. On Sunday they will travel to Siren to take on the winless Steelers. Please stop out to support your City League Ballclub.
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Bloomquist throws a gem as Cardinals topple the Giants
June 29, 2009 --
The Spooner Cardinals scored twice in the 1st inning and it proved to be all they would need for starting pitcher Jeremy Bloomquist. The redbirds rode their ace to a 3-1 victory behind Bloomquists three hitter. Spooner tacked on an insurance run in the 7th inning to make the score 3-0. The Stanberry Giants came back in the bottom half of the seventh to get one of their own on an RBI single by pitcher Donovon Stone. That would be the last hit of the day for the Giants as Bloomquist finished the complete game victory.
The Cardinals are back in action on Wednesday July 1 in Proctor at 7:00 PM. After being on the road nearly all of June the Cards will finally return home . On July 5 at 1:00 the Redbirds tangle with the Independent League leaders, the Haugen Knights. Spooner will come into action on Sunday with a 6-4 record in league play while the Knights enter the contest at 10-0. Please stop by the field in Spooner to take in some quality Independent League baseball.
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Cardinals Split Double Dip on the Road Against Playoff Contenders in Indy League Play
June 22, 2009 --
The Spooner Cardinals defeated the Cumberland Islanders on Sunday 14-1 after a devastating loss the night before to Grantsburg. The Redbirds were leading 5-3 going into the bottom of the ninth but could not close the deal on the Honkers. A few costly errors and a couple of walks were the difference as Grantsburg plated three in the bottom half for a walk off victory. The Cards stranded runners consistantly throughout the day but the big blow came in the ninth. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Spooner could only add on one insurance run to make it 5-3. The lack of clutch hitting proved to be key as the Honkers capitalized on mistakes for the victory. Jeremy Bloomquist pitched outstanding for Spooner but was unable to notch a must deserved win.
On Sunday the Redbirds bounced back for a much needed victory over Cumberland. The Cardinals used a 16 hit attack in a 14-1 drubbing of the Islanders. The hit parade was led by Ryan LaPorte, Dane Graveson and Sean Solveson. The Cards plated two in the top of the first and never looked back. Josh Villella pitched eight innings for the victory.
Spooner is now 5-4 in Indy league play and still in strong contention for a WBA playoff spot. Next on tap for the Cardinals are the Bayside Vipers in non league play on Wednesday June 24th. On Sunday the 28th, Spooner is in Stanberry for Independent League play at 1:00. Come on out to enjoy some ball games and support your city league teams.
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Cardinals survive scare from Belters
June 15, 2009 --
The Spooner Cardinals improved their Independent League record to 4-3 with a 5-1 victory over Independent League newcomer, the Bruce Belters. The Cards tacked on 3 eighth inning runs to pull away late. Jeremy Bloomquist was the winning pitcher throwing 7 innings of two hit baseball. The Cardinals will be on the road for two next weekend. On Saturday they will be in Grantsburg at 5:30 and on Sunday they are back in Cumberland to face the Islanders at 1:00. Try to stop out to the park and support your local city ballclub.
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Cardinals Take Two, Back in the Thick of Things in Indy
June 11, 2009 --
The Spooner Cardinals swept a much needed weekend with wins over the Hayward Hawks and Haugen Hornets. In an early must win situation, the Cardinals bats came alive early and often in an 11-8 win in Hayward. Josh Villella earned the victory with Jeremy Bloomquist completing the save for the Cardinals. The offensive attack was led by Cardinal catcher, Tom Romportl and Shortstop Sean Solveson. Jake Olson, Matt Daniels, Sam Holden, Jeff Andrea, Romportl, Solveson, Bloomquist and Villella all had multiple hits for the Cardinals.
On Sunday the Cardinals faced off against a familiar foe in Greg Aune and the Haugen Hornets. Spooner came from behind with four in the seventh to take the victory. Jeremy Bloomquist was boss as he pitched the complete game victory and also had two hits on the day. Bloomquist gave up only 5 hits and one earned run in the 4-2 victory. Aune was tough as usual taking a difficult loss while pitching seven.
The Cardinals look to stay hot as they will face the newcomer to the Independent League, the Bruce Belters. Bruce (2-3 Indy League) and Spooner (3-3 Indy) are scheduled to tangle in Cumberland at 10:45 on Saturday the 13th. Cumberland is hosting a six team tournament over the weekend so come on out and enjoy some baseball.
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