Ridge Meadows 7 VCB Cards 5

Well the season came to an end tonight almost 3 months after it began.  The kids were in this one and could have easily come out with the win if not for a few key errors and a few missed opportunities at the plate.  It was an exciting season as the kids worked hard and improved immensely since the first cold wet practice at Oak Park in late March and the coaching staff hopes that the team had fun and learned a bit about the game along the way.  It is a tough game both physically and mentally and we hope the kids play with grit and determination next season wherever they play. 

In the game today Yuen came in for Anderson and battled hard and deserved a better fate as he pitched well but some unearned runs betrayed what was a great effort.  Legg and Smythe contributed offensively in the 1-2 spot with a combined 4 hits, 3 RBI's and 2 runs scored.  Barber showed power again and drove in a big run and Lawson who never takes a night off had a key RBI as well.  The work ethic Erickson has shown this year paid off as he reached base with two walks on two solid at bats and stole third allowing himself to score on an error.  The Ridge Meadows team did not have their greatest game but prevailed in the end and we wish them luck as they are classy team and will be tough to beat in the next round.

The young men who wore the Cardinal Red should be proud of their season.  They are a good bunch of guys who were a pleasure to work with and we hope they play this great game in the future and are better for their experience this year.  The parents were supportive and always willing to lend a hand and we thank them for that.  Next up is the team wrap up party at a location to be determined.  Thanks to everyone for a great season.       

 


White Rock 13 Cards 2.
The kids woke up after 2 innings but it was too late...summary to follow


Practice Sunday at 3pm at Hillcrest


The White Rock Red Sox defeated the Cloverdale Spurs 7-4 last night ensuring the Cards a berth in the second round of the playoffs.  We play the Red Sox tomorrow night at 6 with the winner claiming first place in our bracket.  The playoff draw is as follows, we are in the D group.  We will play either the Rays or Ridge Meadows in round 2, date and time to be determined.

1st Division A vs. 2nd Division C
1st Division D vs. 2nd Division B
1st Division B vs. 2nd Division D
1st Division C vs. 2nd Division A
 

 ***********Practice 6pm @ Hillcrest, Thursday**********************    
 
Cards 12 New West 8......Summary to follow

The Cards won their third striaght playoff game against the New West Twins who showed a lot of character in a 12-8 loss.  Perhaps the Cards thought the Twins would roll over for them or maybe there was a let down after the big 4-3 win vs. Cloverdale but either way they were pushed to the limit by a young New West team that never quit.  If a couple of plays went the other way the Twins could have easily come out on top on a beautiful night at Hillcrest.

Merz got the start and pitched well but two errors in the first with two outs led to 3 runs for the Twins.  The Cards pushed back in the second and put up 5 and the Twins countered with two of their own to make the score 6-5 for the Cards after two.  Merz settled in and the Cards stopped booting the ball around but the New West team was swinging the bats well and kept pace with the Cards and were down by 4 going into the 7th.  Merz threw 84 pitches over 4 innings in his strongest outing of the year and did not allow an earned run before giving way to Anderson.

In the bottom of 7 the lead off hitter was beaned with two strikes and after a good play by Legg at second to get the the first out Anderson and Yuen picked off the runner at second to erase the earlier HBP.  This play was huge as the next batter walked followed by a single to left but Anderson dug deep and K'd the clean up hitter to close off what was an entertaining evening of baseball. 

5 Errors led to 7 of the Twins 8 runs and as the playoffs continue the boys are going to have to make the easy plays to help out their pitchers.  Offensively, the Red Birds got 9 hits and seemed a bit tentative at the plate missing several opportunities to blow the game open.  Multi hit efforts were put forth by Metcalf and Smythe and aggressive base running helped Anderson, Yuen, Metcalf and Lawson to each score twice.  Smythe had 2 RBI's with Merz, Legg, Barber, Metcalf and Yuen chipping in one each.

I was very impressed with the effort of the New West Team.  They are young and have had a tough year as far as results go and to come out and play a gutsy game like that speaks to the character of the players and the coaches.  They will be a much stronger squad next year and I wish them luck  in their remaining games and next season.  

Next up is White Rock on Friday night and despite the bumpy effort last night the Cards are playing some solid baseball and hope to continue that in the last game of round 1 at Hillcrest this Friday. 








  
Double Trouble in Rootin', Tootin' Newton
Game 1-Cards 20 vs. Newton 3
Game 2-Cards 4 vs. Cloverdale Spurs 3 (8 innings)

Summary To Follow......

Well, we have played 17 road games this year, why not play a double header in Newton to start the playoffs?

The cards came out ready  to play in game one against the Newton Angels pounding out 17 hits and playing some good defense on the way to a convincing win.  Anderson went 4 strong innings with Legg coming in to close things down in the 5th and final inning.
Offensively there were many strong outings highlited by a three run bomb by Barber in the 3rd starting what became a 13 run inning.  Smythe had three hits, Legg Metcalf and Lawson had two apiece while Merz, Hall, Lawson, Smythe, Barber, Erickson, and McCallum had multi RBI games.  Yuen reached base four times and scored three runs.  Thanks to the good people at Newton Baseball for hosting our game as well as the neutral sight game that follwed against the Cloverdale Spurs.

Game 2-
Poor weather prevented these two teams from playing during the regular season but it was worth the wait as both teams put on quite a show Sunday afternoon.  The Cards came out slow as the Triple O burgers in their bellies settled and they found themselves down 2-1 after one inning.  Yuen had to work hard on the bump as the Spurs were tough outs.  The Spurs added another run in the 3rd and seemed very confident with the two run lead they had after 4 innings.  The Cards woke up and made several outstanding plays on defense to keep the game close.  Barber, after coming in to relieve Yuen had his best game on the mound, keeping the free swinging Spurs off balance.

In typical Cards fashion they did not go away.  Merz reached on an error to lead off the 5th and was advanced to 3rd on a fly ball by Barber.  Freedman also reached on an error scoring Merz, stole 2nd, took third on a ground out by Anderson and then scored on a wild pitch.

Some good defense by both teams and solid pitching saw the game remain 3-3 in the bottom of 7th when Smythe laid down a  bunt single to lead off.  The Spurs pitcher balked and then Legg hit a looping single to center field.  Smythe, pausing to see the ball drop attempted to score from second but a great relay and a very close play at the plate went the Spurs way and it was off to extra innings.  Barber put the Spurs away 1-2-3 in the top of the 8th which set the stage for another chance for the Cards to earn a big playoff win. 

Anderon was beaned on a 2-2 count with one out, stole 2nd and advanced to third on a mispayed grounder hit by Metcalf.  With one out and Anderson on 3rd, Yuen chopped one to the right of the mound that handcuffed the pitcher while Anderson went on contact and scored the winning run to the delight of a large group of Cards fans.

A character win by the boys who proved once again that they can play with anybody.  Thanks again to the folks at Newton for letting us use their field and to the Cards fans for their support and work on the field.  Next up, New Westminster.
 




The Mounties have generously moved their practice of next Friday so we are playuing White Rock at home on Friday the 18th.  The playoff schedule is as follows:
Sunday June 13th
11am vs. Newton
3pm vs Cloverdale

Tuesday June 15th
At Hillcrest vs. New Westminster.

Friday June 18th
At Hillcrest vs. White Rock Red Sox.

For June 11th, Practice at 4pm has been moved to 1pm at Hillcrest tomorrow.



The only certainty is change!!!!  Not having a playoff tournament format has left all AA teams scrambling for field space and umpires and with some games being rained out tonight everyone has to be flexible and think creatively to get these games in.  The teams in our division got together today via email and came up with a format that is fair and will allow us to complete our games before June 19 when the second round is scheduled to begin.  To make our schedule and that of the Rays work we will need to have the AAA Mounties help us out by moving a couple of practice times but for now we have the following games booked:
 
Sunday at 11 against Newton at Unwin park in Newton.  Sunday at 3pm against Cloverdale at Unwin Park.  Tuesday against New West at Hillcrest and pending some help from the Mounties Friday June 18th at Hillcrest against White Rock.  Let's hope this works.  See you Saturday at 1 at Hillcrest.  Last day of school tomorrow so make sure everyone brings an apple for the teacher. 

VCB Rays 6 Cardinals 3
The Cards wrapped up the regular season portion of the schedule with a 6-3 loss to the Rays.  The bats were cold again but the pitching was good and with a few close calls going the other way the kids may have earned the win.  Merz, Lawson, Legg and Erickson ahred the duties on the bump and did well against a strong hitting Rays squad.  Merz cashed in Smythe who had stole 2nd in the first with a hard single to right with the other wo runs coming off Rays errors and a passed ball in the seventh.  Considering the lack of practice time and the amount of road games the Cards had it has been a successful season so far.  The Cards can play with any team and have only been blown out once by the undefeated Chilliwack Cougars.  If the bats can come alive in the playoffs you never know what this team can do.  Check the calendar for additional practice times and watch for details about the playoffs soon.

Burnaby 5 @ Cards 2
Ouch!  A beautiful day at Hillcrest and almost a great day for the Cards was tarnished by some untimely sloppy play by the home squad and a blown chance to win it 7.  Yuen pitched great through 5 but left the game tied 2-2 on two unearned runs on errors that the boys have to get out of their system come playoff time. 
The team has not had a chance to practice bunt defense and the visitors squeezed in two in the 8th to take the lead.  This should not have been an issue as the Cards had runners on 2nd and 3rd with none out in the heart of the order and failed to cash in the winning run in the bottom of 7.  Should the Cards have bunted their way to victory?  Maybe, but the team philosophy is to hit and not play small ball at this time of year.  We will put this one behind us. There were a lot of positives today but with the playoffs coming up next week the boys have to show up for 21 outs and remember every blown routine play and brain cramp ends up costing the team.



Cards 12 @ Van Minor 2
It was nice to play a road game without getting on a highway and the good weather was also appreciated.  The Cards prevailed 12-2 tonight on the strength of good pitching, solid defense and a big night with the sticks.  Yuen led off with a single and was cashed in by Anderson's base hit in the first.  In the second, Legg singled, Smythe doubled, Hall singled and after Erickson cashed in two with a solid base knock, Lawson scored to make the score 6-2 after two.  The Barber pitched well and thanks to some good defense threw an economical 53 pitches over 5 innings to earn the win.  Anderson came in to finish off the 6th to shut things down.  Freedman had 3 hits on the night with Metcalf having the hit of the night bouncing one off the fence in center field to cash in two in the 6th.  Burnaby and he VCB Rays are next up on the last weekend of the regular season.  Thanks to all the fans who came out tonight.







Cards 10 @ Rays 10
A game between the VCB cousins was an example of two teams trying to avoid a win.  The pitchers from both teams(Anderson, Yuen, Espig, Campa, Liao, Russell) threw well but key errors, mostly by the Cards resulted in many unearned Runs.  The baserunning was dubious at times for both teams but some passed balls and wild pitches were the story late in the game due to a wet field when the Cards scored 4 in the top of 7.  The Rays tied in the bottom of 7 but Yuen struck out the last two batsmen in a gutsy effort to salvage a tie.  The kids deserved credit for toughing this one out and have proven how strong they are defensively so we hope for a better effort Thursday. 

It was great to play at home for once!  


Chilliwack Double Header split, sort of:

The Cardinals travelled down Highway 1 on Sunday to face the 17-0 Chilliwack Cougars.  Game 1 started out well but that didn't last as the Cougars showed why they are undefeated this year.  Their pitching was stellar and their offense powerful and they handed the visitors our first mercy loss of the season, 10-0 after 6 innings.  Yuen and Barber battled hard on the mound and did their best in the loss but a few errors and some timely hits put the game out of reach. 

Game 2 saw a more focused Cards squad come out ready to play.  Metcalf made his return from the DL and pitched a very strong 5 innings with the help of some very solid defense from a determined group of Cardinals.  The Cards hit the ball well but the Chilliwack squad either made a good play or the ball went right to them as the fans enjoyed a very solid effort by both teams. 

Offensively, Smythe led off the 3rd with a double and was cashed in with a single by Yuen.  The Cards stranded 8 baserunners over the next 5 innings and thanks to two innings of stellar relief by Anderson the Cards earned a 1-1 tie against a strong Chilliwack team.  The Cardinals received some help from single A from Iormetti who got three hits and caught 11 innings over the two games.  Next up, the VCB Rays.     


Practice time has been moved to Noon at Hillcrest.  Helpers needed to put up the fence.

That's right folks, we are heading down Highway 1 to lovely Chilliwack home of Nickelback, the Band   Chilliwack and of course some mighty fine Corn.  See you there at 11 sharp on Sunday.  Practice tomorrow at 10 at Hillcrest.  The home field almost is ready to go but we may need a bit of help working on the field after practice.  See you tomorrow.
 



   Photos of the Cards in action from the tourney are posted at:

May 22

May 23


VCB/Abbie's May Long Weekend Invitational

Group 2 Results for Thursday, May 20th.                                  

Abbotsford 9, VCB Cardinals 8

Coquitlam Moody 7, Surrey 5

Group 1 Results for May 21st

Ridge Meadows 8, North Delta 8

VCB Rays 7, White Rock 7

Group 1 Results fo for Saturday

Ridge Meadows 11-VCB Rays 5

White Rock 11-North Delta 1

Group 2 Results for Saturday

Abbotsford 11-Surrey 10

Coquitlam/Moody 8  VCB Cardinals 4

 

 

 

 

 

Abby 9-Cards 8

A tough loss for the boys tonight with the lesson being, as Yogi Berra said "It ain't over till it's over.  The Cards had a chance to put Abbotsford away a few times but failing to do that they opened the door for a solid comeback from the kids from Abby.  Yuen pitched great again stepping up for the injured pitching staff and Metcalf provided the bulk of the offense with 4 RBI's.  It was mostly a very well played game with Anderson leading a defense that made some great plays and if all of the Cards dug a bit deeper the win would have been theirs.  Lesson learned and now on to face the Coquitlam/Moody Reds on Saturday at 3 in a game that I expect to be a good bounce back effort.  Thanks to all of the volunteers who got the fields ready and who also put together a very solid concession, your efforts are greatly appreciated.  It's the May Long Weekend and there will be some great baseball to be played at a beautiful ballpark, what more could you ask for?

VCB Rays and Cardinals team up with Abbie's Sports to host the first ever Bantam AA May Long Weekend Classic!

 Cardinals 10-Cloverdale Stallions 4.

The Cards kept it close early pitching out of a few jams and scored 4 in the 5th on several walks and 4 more in the seventh on several hits to prevail over Cloverdale.  Anderson started and battled hard going two and a third innings before giving way to Yuen who pitched out of a bases loaded, one out jam in the 3rd to keep the score 3-2 for the good guys.  He then retired 9 of the next ten hitters by keeping the ball low and the hitters off balance and with the help of some good defense allowed the boys to eventually wear down the Stallions pitching.

Merz came in to wrap things up in the 7th and caught a Stallion looking with a nasty two seamer to end the game.

Offensively, Freedman led the way with two hits including a monster triple and 5 RBI's.  Smythe scored three times and stole two bases, an injured Metcalf chipped in with two hits and Legg scored two and drove in two.

A good effort by all of the Cardinals who made the Stallions work on defense and at the same time made several solid defensive plays making only one error.  Next game is vs. Abbotsford this Thursday and we don't have to take a highway to get to the park    

Practice Wednesday, 630pm @ Hillcrest.

Cardinals 7-Ridge Meadows 6

Like Wille Nelson the Cardinals were "On the road again" paying a visit to the Ridge Meadows Royals, one of the better teams this year.  Metcalf drove in two in the first cashing in Legg who singled and Anderson who walked.  The Boys added to the lead in the 3rd when Legg drove in Yuen with a nice example of unselfish baseball, putting the ball in play to the right side scoring the runner from 3rd.  Coach Tobz had the kids running the bases aggressively and this helped to score Barber, Metcalf and Smythe in the 4th with the help of a key base hit by Merz.

A team that wins 13 straight games is not going to quit and the Royals chipped away at the 6-0 lead to make it 6-3 after 4.  McCallum drew a walk and used his great speed to score in the 5th and that run was matched by the Royals on a sac fly to make it 7-4 after 5.  Anderson came in to pitch in the 6th in a tight spot as the hosts seemed determined to come back and had two on with one out with the score 7-6 in the 7th.  Two k's with the winning run on second closed out a game in which the errorless Cards bounced back from the loss in Surrey with a good team effort against a very good Ridge Meadows squad.

Metcalf got the start and was strong again pitching 4 and a third innings allowing two hits before giving way to Merz who came in deftly in relief getting some timely outs.  As mentioned, Anderson closed things out as all three pitchers looked good and battled through tough situations.

Parker was away today as his Popa, a frequent supporter of the Cards was in the hospital.  The Cards wish Parker, Pat and Papa all the best.

*******************************Check the Schedule for changes*************************************

Good practice last night, that is the effort we are looking for.  See you Saturday, don't stay up too late Friday night.

Cardinals lose 9-3 to Surrey.  Details to follow.  Practice tomorrow at 6pm.

A slow start by the Cardinals and some uncharacteristic walks by the pitching staff were the reasons for this defeat.  The bats were not what they were on the weekend and the team found themselves down 9-0 after 4 innings.  They battled back back but failed to cash in baserunners in the 6th and 7th.  A few bloopers fell in in the 3rd for the Astros but with a bit more hustle a coupe of them could have been outs which would have changed the game.  Perhaps the slow ride on Highway 1 deadened the boys legs but tonight's practice will see them working on tracking those texas leaguers and leaving their feet to make a play like a younger Jeff Tobin is doing in the picture above.  One thing we should all know by now that this league is very competetive and we can't look at past any team despite what their record is.  

Cardinals 14-Coquitlam/Moody 2

The story of the last few games has been the inability for the Cardinals to hit in the clutch.  That was not the problem today as the Cards belted out 12 hits, several of the clutch variety as they ended their two game slide with style.

Metcalf was strong on the mound and kept the Reds hitters off balance going 5 innings for the win. The boys were flawless in the field and this seemed to give Metcalf confidence on the bump.  

 

The batting practice paid off as every Cardinal looked good at the plate.  Barber just missed a dinger in the first and finished the game with two hits.  Legg was all over the stat sheet with 2 hits, 2 stolen bases and three runs scored.  Jimmy Mac had another good day at the plate with two hits and The Jet Freedman added to his impressive RBI output with two more  and also scored twice. Anderson and Metcalf showed some power scattering outfileders with doubles to the gap in an eight run fifth.  A good bounce back game for the kids after a tough one in Aldergrove. They dispayed more intensity and purpose at the plate and that was the difference today.

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like it is going to be a great weekend so let's get to bed early and come out strong tomorrow against the Reds in what is going to be a big game.  Video games can wait until after the game! Get those Meat Fundraiser forms filled out as well!

Aldergrove 10 Cardinals in a 5 inning rain shortened game. 

 

The Cardinals had their first rough inning of the year allowing 7 runs in the second on four straight seeing eye singles and although a bad call at third extended the inning the Aldergrove club deserve props for cashing in the runs when they had a chance.  The Cards did not manage to cash in on their chances stranding 8 in scoring position with less than two outs.  The lack of clutch hitting is killing the 'Birds and hopefully with a good BP session tonight at 530 they can turn that around.  The boys were battling back when the rain and hail came stopping the game after 5 innings which was good timing for the Aldergrove Jays as the momentum was swinging over to the road team. 

Anderson battled hard on the bump and with a couple of breaks could have been out of the second with little damage.  Yuen came in to relieve in the 3rd and faired well in less than ideal conditions.  Legg continues to swing a strong bat going 3-3.  The boys will have to get better on the sticks in the coming weeks as they can't always rely on their pitchers to bail them out.  

The coaches were happy with the fight and hustle the boys showed and with a bit more intensity the result may have been different.

 

Wednesday Practice is at 530pm not 630. 

Cloverdale Stallions 5 Cardinals 4. 

The Red Birds came up short today against the Stallions in a game that was defined by strong pitching by both teams.  The Cards started off well with three straight hits but could only score once in the first and this would come back to haunt them.  Metcalf pitched a gem and with a couple of timely hits from the boys would have earned the win but that is how it goes sometimes in Baseball.  After a couple of lopsided wins a game like this is welcomed and will serve as a reminder to the team that they have to come ready to play every game. 

Neither team hit very well with a lot of flares falling for singles except for in the 7th when the Stallions put things away with a couple of strong base knocks.  Overall, it was a well played game that was entertaining to watch and with a bit more intensity the result may have been different for the visitors.    

Cards 19 at New Westminster 5.

The Merlot Mob caught the Twins at the back end of a double header and came out strong in the Royal City in the first led by a massive home run by Hall who continues to swing a hot bat.  Barber also showed some serious power launching a long blast in the 3rd that like the Hall bomb would have cleared the fence by long way if there was a fence.  The Barber finished the game with three hits with Yuen, Legg, Hall, Metcalf and McCallum having two hits apiece.  Lawson, Jimmy Mac and Erickson scored three times each in what was a dominant game for the road warriors. 

Anderson, Lawson, Erickson and Legg scattered six hits over five innings showing pitching depth that will prove valuable for the Red Birds as the season goes on.  The pitching staff showed they were human allowing their first walk in the last 19 innings, it is funny how easy the game can be when you don't walk anybody. 

The Burgundy Fowl will head down Highway 1 tomorrow morning to take on the Cloverdale Stallions in the Rodeo City in what promises to be a quality match up.  

A tip of the hat to Adrian for scorekeeping and Lily for counting pitches.

Cardinals 17-North Delta 3.
 

The Cards came out strong after a slow commute to Westview Park in North Delta scoring 5 in the first.  A running catch in left field by Erickson complimented the compsure showed by Yuen as the Cards got out of a first inning threat up 5-1. It was 9-2 after 5 as the Cards welcomed the debut pitching performance of Merz who looked calm over 3 innings allowing only 1 run. 

In the 6th the Cards hit the ball well, caught some breaks and put up 8.  The battery of Barber and Lawson took over in the 6th and closed the door on a North Delta team who never quit and will be a tough team to run into in the playoffs. 

Hall had a double and a triple showing some good power, Smythe had three hits and Legg, Erickson and Barber had two RBI's each to lead the Cards at the plate.  Once again the defense was solid and the Cards did not give up a walk for the second straight game. 

Thanks to Mr. Merz for keeping score and to Ms. Erickson and Yuen for doing the pitch count.

 

Cardinals vs. Burnaby.  Tuesday, April 28.

Strong pitching, solid defense and opportunistic base running helped the Cards fight off inclement weather and a tough Burnaby team for a 5-4 win.  Strong innings from Smythe and Anderson on the mound were mopped up in relief by Barber and Metcalf.

Legg provided the defensive play of the game tracking down a long fly ball to right and gunning down the runner tagging up at 3rd.  Hall applied the tag at home for a critical inning ending and rally killing double play.  Other defensive highlights included Anderson ranging deep into the hole for a put out at 1st and Metcalf tracking down a long fly ball over his head in centre.

On offense Anderson got things going with a single and was cashed in by RBI machine Jet Freedman.  McCallum followed suit with a hard hit single, a couple of stolen bases and scored on a passed ball.  Aggressive base running helped Anderson and Yuen capitalize on throwing errors to score in the 4th.  Lightining struck again (metaphorically and literally) in the 7th with Metcalf scoring from 2nd on a long throwing error.

The hardest hit ball of the night (by the Cards) was provided by Hall with a crushing double.

Thanks to Mr. Merz for scorekeeping and Mrs. Erickson for doing pitch count.

 

****************Game Time Change****************
The May 6th game vs. Coquitlam/Moody has been changed to Saturday, May 8th at noon at Townline Park.


Cardinals vs. White Rock Red Sox.  Sunday, April 25th.
After an extremely long break in between games the Cardinals faced the White Rock Red Sox Sunday afternoon. 
Showing little signs of rust the boys put in a solid effort and brought home an 8-6 win over a determined Red Sox squad.

Smythe and Legg started things off with back to back singles and were cashed in by Freedman.  The Sox tied things up in the second and after the Cards stranded two with none away in the bottom of the second the Sox pulled ahead 3-2 in the third.  Barber deftly pitched his way out of two separate jams in the 3rd and 4th allowing only 1 run and setting the stage for 'The Jet' Freedman to drive in two more runs in the third. 

Metcalf came in to pitch in the 5th and helped his own cause smashing a single to right driving in two key runs.  The Red Sox are a team that is better than its record says and they fought back with two in the 6th making the score 7-6 in the 6th.  Yuen added some insurance with some creative baserunning, enducing a throwing error from the catcher, scoring from 3rd.  Metcalf shut the door in the 7th earning the win.

The Cards send our best wishes to Jake of the Red Sox who took a nasty Barber line drive off his shin and still made the out in what was one of the gutsiest plays I have ever seen.   



 Game 2- Cardinals 4 @ Newton 6

The Cardinals fell 6-4 to the Newton Canadians tonight in a good game that saw two tough teams compete in rather chilly conditions.  A shaky second inning and some good base running by the Canadians saw the home team enjoying a 3-1 lead after 4 innings.  The Cardinals were scattering hits and getting on base but were unable to push any across until the 5th inning when Legg cashed in two. 

Newton answered back in the 6th with a run.  As everyone in attendance pined for the warm weather of February the Cards scored one and stranded two runners in the 7th before the Canadians and their solid defense put the game away. 

it was a well played game by both teams and hopefully the long johns won't be necessary when the Cards visit Abbotsford a week from Saturday. 

There were a lot of positives in this game some things to work on next week when the boys have three practices.  Thanks to the parents and fans for coping with that nasty head wind and supporting the team and a tip of the hat to Mrs. Erickson for doing the pitch count and to Mr. Barber for his meticulous scorekeeping.    



Game 1-Cardinals 6 @ WhiteRock Yankees 3

The Cardinals got off to a good start in the top of 1 with back to back singles from Smythe and Legg who were driven in by Barber who later hustled in from second on an infiled single from Freedman.  Hall caught the Yankees off guard by aggressively scoring on a past ball in the second and it was 4-0 Cards after two. 

Metcalf started the game and went for three strong allowing 0 hits with 4K's in a very effecient appearance.  Smythe handled the 4th and 5th with the help an old school play by Lawson in Left who went horizontal to take away a two run double to end the 5th.  Yuen was strong in the 6th using his screwgie (?) to baffle the Yankees.

Tough plate appearances by McCallum and a few other Cards along with some strong hustle by Erickson helped the Cards plate two key runs in the 7th.

Anderson came in the close it out and was strong even though the cold night air and few errors led to three unearned runs by the Yankees in the 7th to make things interesting. 

Next game in Newton on Thursday, good job in the opener and it is always nice to get the first 'W'

Props to Barb for doing the pitch count and to Adrian for scoring.