Cards fold to Lake Mills, 3-1

[caption id="attachment_11467" align="alignleft" width="270"] Despite a good effort on the mound by GHV’s Payton James, the Cardinals fell to Lake Mills in the opening round of Class 2A, District 4 baseball. James allowed only one hit through the first four innings of play and he struck out five batters. -Reporter photo by Chris Barragy[/caption]

The Garner-Hayfield/Ventura baseball team wrapped up their regular season with wins over West Hancock, but dropped the opening game in Class 2A, District 4 action later in the week.

GHV 10, West Hancock 3

GHV 4, West Hancock 3 (10)

The Cardinals soared past the West Hancock Eagles in a double header played on Monday, July 6.  GHV won both games by scores of 10-3 and 4-3.

In the 10-3 contest, West Hancock picked up an early 3-0 lead by the end of the second inning.  The Cards really rolled in the fifth inning, scoring seven runs and putting the game out of reach for the Eagles.

GHV collected a whopping 16 hits in the game, compared to West Hancock’s eight.  Harley Forry and Holden Hutcheson led the team on offense, with two hits apiece and each collecting one double.  Hutcheson brought in two runners with his hits, while Forry had one RBI.  Brandon Ross, Payton James, Colton Schroeder and Cade Bamrick also had two hits apiece.

Forry, James and Bamrick also scored two runs apiece.

Joynt knocked in two RBIs on his one hit, while Bamrick had two RBIs on two hits.

Schroeder led the team in stolen bases with three.  Forry stole two bases.

Ryan Meyers pitched all seven innings for the Cardinals.  He struck out three batters and walked one.

Although the Eagles managed four more hits in the next game than GHV, the Cards got more runners across the plate in the 4-3 victory.

The score was knotted at 3-3 at the bottom of the eighth.  Neither team scored in the ninth inning, but GHV managed to get one runner home in the 10th inning to seal the deal.

Scoring one run apiece for GHV was Connor Burke, Joynt, Chase Theobald and Brandon Ross.

Forry led the team with two hits.  Collecting one hit apiece was Joynt, James, Schroeder, and Ryley Kozisek.

Knocking in one RBI each was Forry, Joynt, James and Schroeder.

Schroeder was the winning pitcher, but he only pitched one inning.  He struck out three batters, walked two and have up one hit.  James finished the game, striking out seven batters and walking none.  He gave up nine hits.

Central Springs 15, GHV 2

GHV hosted Central Springs on Tuesday, July 7.  The Panther bats were too much for the Cardinals as they fell, 15-2.

Central Springs managed 15 hits against GHV’s pitchers, Alex Goll and Holden Hutcheson, including four doubles and two triples.  The Cardinals only produced five hits.

Goll took the loss for GHV.  He pitched three innings, striking out four, walking three, allowing nine hits and 11 runs.  Hutcheson pitched the final two innings.  He struck out two batters, allowed six hits and four runs.

Brandon Ross collected two hits for the Cardinals and scored one of their two runs.  Hutcheson had a single and recorded the other run for GHV.  Payton James and Ryan Meyers both had a single apiece.

James and Meyers both had RBIs.

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The next night the Cardinals hosted Estherville for their final regular season game.  Although GHV recorded more hits than Estherville, they just couldn’t bring the base runners home.

At the bottom of the fifth inning, GHV was leading, 3-2.  Estherville scored two runs apiece in the last two innings to capture the 6-3 victory.

James and Connor Burke led the offense.  James recorded three hits and scored one run.  Burke had two hits, one being a triple that brought in one RBI.  Brandon Ross and Holden Hutcheson had two hits each, while Nick Joynt, Meyers and Cade Bamrick each had a single.

Besides Burke’s RBI, Hutcheson and Meyers also had an RBI apiece.

James, Meyers and Anthony Sherwood scored GHV’s runs.

Colton Schroeder pitched all seven innings for the Cardinals.  He struck out three, walked three, gave up 10 hits and allowed six runs.

Lake Mills 3, GHV 1

The Cardinals put up a good fight, but it just wasn’t enough as they dropped Saturday night’s Class 2A, District 4 game to Lake Mills.

The game was close in the beginning.  Lake Mills scored in the third inning.  GHV answered that in the fourth when Nick Joynt scored on a hit by Colton Schroeder.  The Cardinals were primed for more runs, with bases loaded, but unfortunately that was it for that inning and the game.  The Bulldogs went on to score two runs in the sixth inning to win the contest, 3-1.

According to Coach Paul Childress the team’s inability to make anything happen in the fourth and fifth innings ended up being the difference in the game.

GHV’s number one pitcher, Payton James, took the loss.  James allowed only one hit through the first four innings of play and only five total hits.  He struck out five batters and walked two.  Lake Mill’s pitcher Josh Peters had a great game, striking out 10 GHV batters.

Harley Forry led the offense with two hits, one being a double with two outs in the seventh inning.    James also connected on a double.  Joynt, Goll and Schroeder all had singles.

The Cardinals ended the season with a record of 10-20.  The future looks bright, however, as GHV will return all but one player from this year’s roster.

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