MAC Cardinals win first doubleheader
By DONN ADAMSON / Daily Journal Sports Editor
Apr 27, 2006 - 09:37:50 CDT
PARK HILLS - The Mineral Area Cardinals have won four of their last six games with the most recent wins, a doubleheader on Wednesday over the McKendree J.V.'s, 8-1 and 12-7. It was the first doubleheader the Cardinals have won this year.
“We're starting to play better as a team and these past games have taken a lot of pressure off of our guys,” said Mineral Area coach Jim Gerwitz when asked about their recent wins. “We seem to be putting it together just before Regionals.”
MAC's first win was highlighted by a phenomenal pitching game by lefthander James Huff. Huff allowed only two hits and one walk to the McKendree batters, cruising to a 12 strike-out, complete game performance. At one juncture in the game, Huff struck out seven of eight batters.
“That's the kind of performance we need out of him,” said Gerwitz. “He looked like his old high school self today.”
McKendree's lone run came on a home run in the first inning. Joe Dickman launched a two-out, 345' shot over the rightfield fence. The 1-0 lead held until bottom of the fourth inning when the visitors' pitching had control troubles and the Cardinals scored six runs.
MAC had only three hits in the inning as Cole Schrage, who had matched Huff pitch for pitch in the first three innings, gave up two singles, walked a batter, hit one and threw a wild pitch that scored a runner before being pulled for reliever Cory Sellers. Sellers couldn't find the handle as he walked the first three batters he faced and threw two run-scoring wild pitches.
Seth Kimrey provided the big hit with a two-RBI single, and Brandon Crook hit a sacrifice fly for MAC's other three runs in the inning. The Cardinals would score two more runs in the sixth inning with Aaron Miller hitting a lead-off home run. It was Miller's first of the season, a 340' blast over the rightfield fence nearly to the same spot as Dickman's. Anthony Patton followed with an infield hit and scored on a ground ball by Crook.
In game two, the Cardinals again fell behind in the first inning when Anthony Clervi hit a two-run double off of MAC's starter Marshall Macormic. Macormic settled in and struck out the very next two batters, and did not allow another run until the fifth inning.
It was McKendree's defense that faltered in the second game. Two errors by the visitors led to five unearned runs by Mineral Area in the third inning. McKendree's pitcher Shawn Oertwig was nearly out of the inning with a pair of strike-outs, but not before Joaby Sikes laced a two-out triple down the leftfield line to drive in two runs.
Miller walked to lead off the fourth inning for the Cardinals. Two strike-outs later, Tony Spencer, Crook, and Stahl hit three singles in a row to account for two more runs for Mineral Area.
McKendree (9-13) got their big sticks out in the fifth inning. Three of McKendree's first five batters hit doubles, and Jonathon Norton hit a two-out home run to tie the game up at 7-7. The home run came off of reliever Mike Hardin who had replaced Macormic after the third double.
Hardin would get the win, thanks to Sikes who hit his second triple in a row to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning. Sikes hit a carbon-copy shot down the line of his third-inning triple, and would score a few pitches later on a passed ball.
Hardin shut down the McKendree batters in the top of the sixth, but only after a double play by MAC's centerfielder Garrett Hulsey who caught a fly ball and also caught McKendree's baserunner too far off of second base.
The Cardinals would add insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Crook and Sean Bard walked and Sikes was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Ryan Blankenship, who struggled in his first three at-bats, all strike-outs, made up for it by turning on a 2-1 fastball for a 360' grand slam, his third home run of the season.
“Ryan made up for his earlier at-bats and in an especially close game he gave us some breathing room,” added Gerwitz.
Andy Moss came in to pitch the seventh for Mineral Area, and the Cardinals defense pulled off their third double play to end the game.
Mineral Area will play again this afternoon at 2 p.m. when they will host conference leading Meramec Community College.
Game 1
McKendree 100 000 0 - 1 2 1
Mineral Area 000 602 x - 8 7 0
WP- Huff 7i 1r 2h 12k 1bb, LP- Strage 3i 4r 3h 3k 1bb 3hb, Sellers 0i 2r 3bb, Roddy 3i 1r 4h 1k 0bb.
Hitting: McKendree - Dickman, Keener. MAC - Kimrey 2, Spencer, Stahl, Sikes, Patton, Miller. HR- Dickman, Miller. 2b- Keener, Stahl.
Game 2
McKendree 200 050 0 - 7 6 2
Mineral Area 005 214 x - 12 8 3
WP- Hardin 2i 1r 1h 3k 1bb, Macormic 4i 6r 5h 4k 3bb 2hb, Moss 1i 0r 0h 1k 1hb. LP- Flick 2i 1r 3h 2k 2bb, Oertwig 3 2/3i 7r 4h 7k 3bb, Speidel 1/3i 3r 1h 1bb 1hb.
Hitting: McKendree - Dickman 2, Clervi 2, Schallemberg, Norton. MAC - Crook 2, Stahl 2, Sikes 2, Blankenship, Spencer. HR- Norton, Blankenship. 3b- Sikes 2. 2b- Clervi 2, Schallemberg, Dickman.
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“We're starting to play better as a team and these past games have taken a lot of pressure off of our guys,” said Mineral Area coach Jim Gerwitz when asked about their recent wins. “We seem to be putting it together just before Regionals.”
MAC's first win was highlighted by a phenomenal pitching game by lefthander James Huff. Huff allowed only two hits and one walk to the McKendree batters, cruising to a 12 strike-out, complete game performance. At one juncture in the game, Huff struck out seven of eight batters.
“That's the kind of performance we need out of him,” said Gerwitz. “He looked like his old high school self today.”
McKendree's lone run came on a home run in the first inning. Joe Dickman launched a two-out, 345' shot over the rightfield fence. The 1-0 lead held until bottom of the fourth inning when the visitors' pitching had control troubles and the Cardinals scored six runs.
MAC had only three hits in the inning as Cole Schrage, who had matched Huff pitch for pitch in the first three innings, gave up two singles, walked a batter, hit one and threw a wild pitch that scored a runner before being pulled for reliever Cory Sellers. Sellers couldn't find the handle as he walked the first three batters he faced and threw two run-scoring wild pitches.
Seth Kimrey provided the big hit with a two-RBI single, and Brandon Crook hit a sacrifice fly for MAC's other three runs in the inning. The Cardinals would score two more runs in the sixth inning with Aaron Miller hitting a lead-off home run. It was Miller's first of the season, a 340' blast over the rightfield fence nearly to the same spot as Dickman's. Anthony Patton followed with an infield hit and scored on a ground ball by Crook.
In game two, the Cardinals again fell behind in the first inning when Anthony Clervi hit a two-run double off of MAC's starter Marshall Macormic. Macormic settled in and struck out the very next two batters, and did not allow another run until the fifth inning.
It was McKendree's defense that faltered in the second game. Two errors by the visitors led to five unearned runs by Mineral Area in the third inning. McKendree's pitcher Shawn Oertwig was nearly out of the inning with a pair of strike-outs, but not before Joaby Sikes laced a two-out triple down the leftfield line to drive in two runs.
Miller walked to lead off the fourth inning for the Cardinals. Two strike-outs later, Tony Spencer, Crook, and Stahl hit three singles in a row to account for two more runs for Mineral Area.
McKendree (9-13) got their big sticks out in the fifth inning. Three of McKendree's first five batters hit doubles, and Jonathon Norton hit a two-out home run to tie the game up at 7-7. The home run came off of reliever Mike Hardin who had replaced Macormic after the third double.
Hardin would get the win, thanks to Sikes who hit his second triple in a row to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning. Sikes hit a carbon-copy shot down the line of his third-inning triple, and would score a few pitches later on a passed ball.
Hardin shut down the McKendree batters in the top of the sixth, but only after a double play by MAC's centerfielder Garrett Hulsey who caught a fly ball and also caught McKendree's baserunner too far off of second base.
The Cardinals would add insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Crook and Sean Bard walked and Sikes was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Ryan Blankenship, who struggled in his first three at-bats, all strike-outs, made up for it by turning on a 2-1 fastball for a 360' grand slam, his third home run of the season.
“Ryan made up for his earlier at-bats and in an especially close game he gave us some breathing room,” added Gerwitz.
Andy Moss came in to pitch the seventh for Mineral Area, and the Cardinals defense pulled off their third double play to end the game.
Mineral Area will play again this afternoon at 2 p.m. when they will host conference leading Meramec Community College.
Game 1
McKendree 100 000 0 - 1 2 1
Mineral Area 000 602 x - 8 7 0
WP- Huff 7i 1r 2h 12k 1bb, LP- Strage 3i 4r 3h 3k 1bb 3hb, Sellers 0i 2r 3bb, Roddy 3i 1r 4h 1k 0bb.
Hitting: McKendree - Dickman, Keener. MAC - Kimrey 2, Spencer, Stahl, Sikes, Patton, Miller. HR- Dickman, Miller. 2b- Keener, Stahl.
Game 2
McKendree 200 050 0 - 7 6 2
Mineral Area 005 214 x - 12 8 3
WP- Hardin 2i 1r 1h 3k 1bb, Macormic 4i 6r 5h 4k 3bb 2hb, Moss 1i 0r 0h 1k 1hb. LP- Flick 2i 1r 3h 2k 2bb, Oertwig 3 2/3i 7r 4h 7k 3bb, Speidel 1/3i 3r 1h 1bb 1hb.
Hitting: McKendree - Dickman 2, Clervi 2, Schallemberg, Norton. MAC - Crook 2, Stahl 2, Sikes 2, Blankenship, Spencer. HR- Norton, Blankenship. 3b- Sikes 2. 2b- Clervi 2, Schallemberg, Dickman.