No Magic for MAC Cardinals
By DONN ADAMSON\Daily Journal Sports Editor
Apr 28, 2006 - 11:06:51 CDT
PARK HILLS - What the Mineral Area Cardinals had going for them on Wednesday against McKendree was definitely not there on Thursday when they faced the Meramec Magic (38-12). The Cardinals were outhit, out-pitched and their gloves were definitely not fielding as well. Meramec walked away with both wins 13-1 and 10-6.
The Meramec battery in the first game were both North County graduates with Adam Howard on the mound and Lucas Hulsey behind the plate. Howard dominated the Cardinals, facing only 18 batters in the shortened, five-inning game. Mineral Area could only salvage three hits against the right-hander.
MAC's pitcher Blake Jones did not have his usual stuff as several of his pitches hit in front of the plate and bounded off the catcher, making it easy for the Magic players to hold back their swing and to advance on the bases. Meramec scored three runs in the first inning on only two hits and a pair of walks.
The Cardinals, wishing to make a game of it, came right back in the bottom of the inning to score their lone run. A lead-off double by Tony Spencer, which was nearly caught by the Magic's leftfielder on a diving catch, was rewarded by a RBI single by designated-hitter Sean Bard.
It was the last time they would threaten to score as a double play by the Magic defense closed out the inning, leaving Tyler Stahl, who had drawn a walk between the two hits, stranded on third.
The Magic pulled away in the second inning, putting four runners on base before they even had a hit. Jones walked three after striking out the lead-of batter, and a Cardinals error loaded the bases for Stephen Bush who cleaned them off with a double in right center.
Bush tried to stretch it into a triple, but a perfect relay from rightfielder Ryan Blankenship to Spencer at short gave third baseman Anthony Pannett plenty of time to put the tag down in front of Bush's slide.
The Magic scored two more runs in the fourth without a hit as MAC's fielding fell apart, committing two errors. The Magic broke out the bats in the top of the fifth to give them the necessary 10-plus runs to shorten the game. The first five batters reached base safely with four singles and a walk. Howard hit a sacrifice fly and Bush hit his second double to aid the Magic in gaining four more runs.
Meramec's first two batters in the line-up, Nick Van Stratten and Chris Getz, scored eight of the team's runs and only recorded one single between them. The two hitters combined to reach base all but once on three walks two errors and a hit by pitch.
Howard set the Cardinals down in order from the third inning on, with only Aaron Miller reaching on a single but was soon erased in Meramec's second double play of the game.
Mineral Area's offense perked up in the second game, but so did Meramec's. The Magic's lead-off hitter Nick Van Stratten started things off with a triple and two singles later along with a Cardinal error put Mineral Area in a three-run deficit before they had even come to the plate.
The Cardinals only made two errors in the second game, but both errors led to a Magic rally. The Cardinals retaliated in the bottom of the first inning with two runs of their own. Spencer reached on a Magic error and Brandon Crook followed with a single. Bard hit a sacrifice fly and a double by Joaby Sikes drove in Crook.
Both team's lead-off hitter in the second inning walked, stole second and eventually scored to keep it a one run game until the fourth inning.
Howard hammered a double after a lead-off single by Chris Getz, and the designated hitter Charlie Blume drove both runners home. The 6-3 lead held until the seventh inning when the Magic pushed four more runs across with five hits in the inning.
In a desperate last-ditch effort, the Cardinals struck the ball with regularity in the bottom of the seventh. Miller started things off with a double and Sikes hit his second double of the game, driving in two runs, to cap off the come-from-behind attempt.
Mineral Area (11-33) will play next on Saturday at Florissant Valley.
First game -
Meramec 340 24 - 13 9 0
Mineral Area 100 00 - 1 3 4
WP- Howard 5i 1r 3h 6k 2bb, LP- Jones 2i 7r 4h 4k 5bb, Moss 2i 6r 4h 1k 1bb 1hb, Hilton 1i 0r 1h 2k.
Hitting: Meramec - Bush 3, Whitesides 2, Hulsey, Epley, Getz, Healey. MAC - Spencer, Bard, Miller. 2b- Bush 2, Spencer.
Game two -
Meramec 310 200 4 - 10 15 1
Mineral Area 210 000 3 - 6 9 2
WP- Longfellow 7i 6r 7h 4k 2bb 1hb. LP- Warren 5 1/3i 6r 10h 5k 3bb 1hb, Grewe 1 1/3i 4r 5h 0k 1bb.
Hitting: Meramec - Getz 4, Howard 4, Blume 2, Stratten 2, Whitesides, Penley, Healey. MAC - Crook 2, Sikes 2, Spencer, Patton, Miller. 3b- Stratten, 2b- Sikes 2, Miller, Howard, Whitesides, Healey.
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The Meramec battery in the first game were both North County graduates with Adam Howard on the mound and Lucas Hulsey behind the plate. Howard dominated the Cardinals, facing only 18 batters in the shortened, five-inning game. Mineral Area could only salvage three hits against the right-hander.
MAC's pitcher Blake Jones did not have his usual stuff as several of his pitches hit in front of the plate and bounded off the catcher, making it easy for the Magic players to hold back their swing and to advance on the bases. Meramec scored three runs in the first inning on only two hits and a pair of walks.
The Cardinals, wishing to make a game of it, came right back in the bottom of the inning to score their lone run. A lead-off double by Tony Spencer, which was nearly caught by the Magic's leftfielder on a diving catch, was rewarded by a RBI single by designated-hitter Sean Bard.
It was the last time they would threaten to score as a double play by the Magic defense closed out the inning, leaving Tyler Stahl, who had drawn a walk between the two hits, stranded on third.
The Magic pulled away in the second inning, putting four runners on base before they even had a hit. Jones walked three after striking out the lead-of batter, and a Cardinals error loaded the bases for Stephen Bush who cleaned them off with a double in right center.
Bush tried to stretch it into a triple, but a perfect relay from rightfielder Ryan Blankenship to Spencer at short gave third baseman Anthony Pannett plenty of time to put the tag down in front of Bush's slide.
The Magic scored two more runs in the fourth without a hit as MAC's fielding fell apart, committing two errors. The Magic broke out the bats in the top of the fifth to give them the necessary 10-plus runs to shorten the game. The first five batters reached base safely with four singles and a walk. Howard hit a sacrifice fly and Bush hit his second double to aid the Magic in gaining four more runs.
Meramec's first two batters in the line-up, Nick Van Stratten and Chris Getz, scored eight of the team's runs and only recorded one single between them. The two hitters combined to reach base all but once on three walks two errors and a hit by pitch.
Howard set the Cardinals down in order from the third inning on, with only Aaron Miller reaching on a single but was soon erased in Meramec's second double play of the game.
Mineral Area's offense perked up in the second game, but so did Meramec's. The Magic's lead-off hitter Nick Van Stratten started things off with a triple and two singles later along with a Cardinal error put Mineral Area in a three-run deficit before they had even come to the plate.
The Cardinals only made two errors in the second game, but both errors led to a Magic rally. The Cardinals retaliated in the bottom of the first inning with two runs of their own. Spencer reached on a Magic error and Brandon Crook followed with a single. Bard hit a sacrifice fly and a double by Joaby Sikes drove in Crook.
Both team's lead-off hitter in the second inning walked, stole second and eventually scored to keep it a one run game until the fourth inning.
Howard hammered a double after a lead-off single by Chris Getz, and the designated hitter Charlie Blume drove both runners home. The 6-3 lead held until the seventh inning when the Magic pushed four more runs across with five hits in the inning.
In a desperate last-ditch effort, the Cardinals struck the ball with regularity in the bottom of the seventh. Miller started things off with a double and Sikes hit his second double of the game, driving in two runs, to cap off the come-from-behind attempt.
Mineral Area (11-33) will play next on Saturday at Florissant Valley.
First game -
Meramec 340 24 - 13 9 0
Mineral Area 100 00 - 1 3 4
WP- Howard 5i 1r 3h 6k 2bb, LP- Jones 2i 7r 4h 4k 5bb, Moss 2i 6r 4h 1k 1bb 1hb, Hilton 1i 0r 1h 2k.
Hitting: Meramec - Bush 3, Whitesides 2, Hulsey, Epley, Getz, Healey. MAC - Spencer, Bard, Miller. 2b- Bush 2, Spencer.
Game two -
Meramec 310 200 4 - 10 15 1
Mineral Area 210 000 3 - 6 9 2
WP- Longfellow 7i 6r 7h 4k 2bb 1hb. LP- Warren 5 1/3i 6r 10h 5k 3bb 1hb, Grewe 1 1/3i 4r 5h 0k 1bb.
Hitting: Meramec - Getz 4, Howard 4, Blume 2, Stratten 2, Whitesides, Penley, Healey. MAC - Crook 2, Sikes 2, Spencer, Patton, Miller. 3b- Stratten, 2b- Sikes 2, Miller, Howard, Whitesides, Healey.