Cards finally get a win

by Michelle Watson

The Garner-Hayfield-Ventura boys broke a 14-game losing streak when they topped Bishop Garrigan, moving their record to 3-14.

North Butler 6, GHV 5

The battle was on when GHV hosted North Butler on Monday, June 24.  Both teams put forth strong efforts, but North Butler prevailed in the end.

The Bearcats scored three runs to open the game in the first inning. Jack Ermer got things rolling for the Cardinals when he hit a ground ball and reached base on an error by the shortstop.  Ermer advanced to third on another error by the shortstop following a hit by Landon Dalbeck.  The error was costly for North Butler, as Ermer was able to score on another Bearcat error, 3-1.

The Cardinals sat the Bearcats down in one-two-three fashion in the second inning and then they went to work.  Ermer singled on a line drive to center field that brought in courtesy runner Owen Pueggel.  Jared Shaw brought in Noah Boeckman and Ermer on a single line drive to center field.  Next up to bat was Dalbeck, who connected on a single to left field, allowing Shaw to score, giving the Cardinals a 5-3 lead at the end of the inning.

The Bearcats weren’t going to be denied and they scored three runs in the top of the third, 6-5.  The Cardinals had plenty of options to score in the remainder of the game, but just weren’t able to get any across the plate.  The game ended in five innings, due to lightning, with North Butler claiming the 6-5 victory.

GHV recorded seven hits in the game.  Rafe VanDusseldorp and Shaw had multiple hits.  Ermer, Dalbeck and Brody Boehnke each had one hit.  Shaw led the team with two RBIs.

Ermer pitched all five innings.  He gave up nine hits and six runs, while striking out four and walking three.

C-G-D 10, GHV 6

The Cardinals slowly watched the game slip away on Tuesday, June 25, when they hosted Clarion-Goldfield-Dows.

GHV started strong and matched the Cowboys’ three runs in the first inning.  With bases loaded, Rafe VanDusseldorp was hit by a pitch that allowed Brody Boehnke to score.  The next run was scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Dalton Graff, plating Jared Shaw.  Landon Dalbeck knotted the score when he was brought in by a single line drive by Sam Wood.

C-G-D scored three more runs in the second inning and two in the fourth to take an 8-3 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth inning.  Dalbeck got the Cards rolling again with a single pop fly to right field that allowed Adreyn Fausett to score.  Dalbeck was able to score on a single fly ball by Boehnke, 8-5.

The Cards tried to rally in the sixth inning, plating one more run.  Dalbeck  started it off by hitting a double to right field.  VanDusseldorp singled, advancing Dalbeck to third.  Boehnke hit a sacrifice fly to left field, plating Dalbeck.  That was all GHV could manage as they fell, 10-6.

The Cardinals collected 12 hits compared to 11 for the Cowboys.  Shaw, Dalbeck, VanDusseldorp and Upmeyer all had multiple hits.  Boehnke led the team in RBIs with two.

Upmeyer took the loss on the mound.  He surrendered six runs on 11 hits over six innings striking out four.

North Union 10, GHV 8

The Cardinals recovered from a seven-run deficit late in the game and gave North Union a hard run on Wednesday, June 26.  GHV scored six runs in the seventh inning in the failed comeback.

The game was knotted 1-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth.  The Warriors had a strong inning, plating four runs.  The Cardinals scored in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Noah Boeckman that scored Sam Childress, 5-2.  North Union followed that with four more runs, 9-2.

The Cardinals weren’t ready to roll over.  They scored six runs on a single by Owen Pueggel, walks from Childress and Sam Wood and on an error and single by Landon Dalbeck.  Despite their best efforts, the Cards fell, 10-8.

Garner’s bats weren’t the problem in the game, as the Cards collected nine hits and North Union only five.  Dalbeck, Brody Boehnke and Wood had multiple hits.  Jack Ermer, Rafe VanDusseldorp and Pueggel all had one hit each.

Dalton Graff took the loss.  He lasted four innings, allowing two hits and five runs, while striking out three.  Boeckman and Childress also saw time on the mound.  Boeckman gave up three hits and four runs.  He struck out one and walked one.  Childress recorded one strike-out.

GHV 5, Bishop Garrigan 2

The Cardinals moved into the win column after a long run of losses when they beat Bishop Garrigan at home on Friday, June 28.

The Golden Bears got on the board first with a run in the first inning.

GHV got all their runs in a huge third inning.  Jack Ermer started off with a single fly ball to right field that brought in Sam Childress.  Ermer scored on a an error.  Two batters in a row were hit by pitches, loading the bases.  A timely double by Dalton Graff brought in three runs, Rafe Van Dusseldorp, Adreyn Fausett and Jared Shaw, 5-1.

Bishop Garrigan could only manage one more run, giving the Cardinals a 5-2 victory.

Ermer got the win on the mound.  He lasted six and two-thirds innings, allowing five hits and two runs, while striking out nine.  Sam Wood also saw time on the mound.  He pitched one-third of an inning in relief.  He recorded the last out to earn the save.

Graff led the team at the plate, going two-for-three and recording three RBIs. Ermer was the only other Cardinal to record a hit.