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Cardinals Win Opener Over Halos at Bicentennial Rock Quarry
It was a real yabba dabba do time playing a prehistoric version of baseball at Bicentennial in Bedrock, Michigan last night. It was definitely something we've never seen, nor experienced before in MSBL, nor anywhere else anyone could recall. A bizarre, pseudo-turf mound plopped down and held in place by thousands of Pebbles swept in from the infield. For the players who had to endure sliding, it was similar to a butcher shop experience where you ask for a pound of shaved roast beef. On the positive side, Dave Feeny was able to avoid losing his teeth as a routine groundball ricocheted toward his melon, with the only thing saving him from a trip to the dentist being his cat-like reflexes. "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?" Oh, yeah, the Cardinals won the contest, 10-2.
Rich Cleve and Stan Shedlowsky combined for a 3-hitter to hold down the Angels with Cleve pitching the first 4, picking up the win and Shed getting the save over 3 effective innings, whiffing seven batters. Just two unearned runs were allowed by the Cardinals, thanks to some hot potato-like errant throws. On the offensive side, the Angels contributed 6 free passes and 3 errors, adding to the Cards' 10 hits. Clint Berryman went 3-4 with a double and 2 runs, Darrin Clark was 2-3 with a double, walk and 2 runs, Mike Hanafee had 2 RBI, and Rob Chafin had a bases loaded double, scoring 2 runs to lead the attack.
The Cardinals are scheduled for their next game at the Rock Quarry next Monday. Maybe Flat Rock is a better option?
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Cardinals Channel Gas House Gang in win over Mudville
It seemed to be the appropriate night for the 42 Cardinals to break out the classic ivory uniforms against the fabled Mudville team on the Henry Ford "sand" lot Friday night. It took a few innings to get going, but the end result was a 14-0 win.
Under the heading, "I've never seen that before" the grounds crew at Ford decided to get creative in an effort to improve the pile of slag they call a mound by dumping a pile of red sand on top of the gray slag. There's nothing like the feeling of the ground moving under a pitcher's legs while trying to throw strikes and landing without pulling something. Oh, if they only had an artificial mound at Ford. Of course the grass would have to be removed from the infield and replaced with rocks so that the Livonia fields are consistently bad. If this is what's meant by "you get what you pay for", we're in bigger trouble than we previously thought! Stan Shedlowsky was on the pile for the Cardinals and after walking the first two batters was finally able to throw a strike that resulted in a double play. Stan pitched four innings to pick up the win, giving way to Rob Chafin to do his "Tremors" impression for the last 3 innings after everything was completely dug out. Combined it was a 5-hit shutout.
The batter's box worked out better for the Cards. Jerry Emerson scored Brian Spence in the 2nd for a 1-0 lead, followed by a 6-run outburst in the 3rd inning, highlighted by a ground ball lost in the sun in the outfield that turned into another "never seen before" play that resulted in a double by Clint Berryman. RBI's by Ed Collins, Spence and a 2-run double by Mike Hanafee broke the game open to make it 7-0, but the Gashouse Gorillas weren't done. Ed Pevos did his Willie Mays Hayes power display with a run scoring triple and Chafin followed with a double to deep LF to make it 9-0 after 4. The 6th inning started with 3 straight singles by Spence, Kevin Tardivi and a tremendous infield mini popup by Emerson. Tim Croll, Pevos, Chafin, Jerry Carlisle and Collins followed with run scoring singles to complete the 5-run inning.
The Cardinals improved to 3-1 with 8 days off before taking on Jet Box in their next game Sunday, the 26th at Mott.
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Cardinals Walk off Jet Box
A real baseball game was played at Mott HS Sunday afternoon. Everyone in the Detroit MSBL knows what that means. A well played, well pitched game with very good defensive plays kept the game scoreless through six innings between the 42 Cardinals and Jet Box Bombers. Rob Chafin went the distance on the hill for the Cards and was instrumental in providing his own offense when it mattered most. Chafin allowed just 4 hits in the game, but two came with two outs in the 7th as the Box took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the 7th.
It was an afternoon of frustration for the Cardinals offense, leaving 10 runners on base through the first 6 innings. But it finally came together in the last AB when Glenn Triest reached on an infield single. Rich Cleve, running for Triest stole second to put the tying run in scoring position. After missing (or ignoring) the bunt sign, Jerry Carlisle looped a single to right with Cleve taking 3rd. The Cardinals received a break on the next play when Joel Welsh's grounder to 3rd resulted in a throw to second that pulled the 2nd baseman off the bag as Carlisle slid in safely. It would have been a double play with a good throw as Welsh was put out at first on the play. Around the 5th inning it was discussed in the Cardinals dugout that Chafin might just have to provide his own offense to win the game. So it came to fruition that Chafin was added at the bottom to do just that. He lined a ball the center that was nearly caught, but fell in scoring Cleve with Carlisle advancing to 3rd, tying the game at 1-1. Clint Berryman then jumped on the first pitch, hitting a sinking line drive that was nearly caught on a great effort by the centerfielder, but the ball fell in, scoring Carlisle to win the game 2-1.
Chafin struck out 7 with no walks to pick up the well deserved win. The Cardinals will play the Woodpeckers in their next contest Tuesday night at Kyte Monroe.
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Pitching, Timely Hitting Key to Cardinals Win
Tim Croll struck out 10 batters over 5-2/3 innings and helped his own cause with his bat, going 2-2 with a triple and driving in two runs, leading the 42 Cardinals to a 7-3 win over the Woodpeckers Tuesday night at Kyte 1. Croll hit a two-out triple in the second inning to score Scott Misuraca, then came in to score on Dave Feeny's single as the Cardinals grabbed a 2-0 lead.
In the 4th, the Cardinals scored 5 runs make it 7-0. Stan Shedlowsky reached on an error with 2 outs to open the door for a big inning. Stan went to second on an errant pickoff attempt and came in to score on Darrin Clark's single. After Ryan Kelly walked, Misuraca doubled down the leftfield line, scoring both runners to make it 5-0. Jerry Emerson's single scored Misuraca, then another single by Kevin Tardivi set up Croll for another RBI opportunity which he cashed in, scoring Emerson to make it 7-0. Croll held down the Woodpeckers until tiring in the 6th, giving up the only run he would allow before giving way to Misuraca who stranded two runners with a strikeout to end the threat. The Woodpeckers added two runs in the 7th to close out the scoring.
The Cardinals now have a break over the July 4th weekend and will take on the Orioles next Tuesday at Kyte A.
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Cardinals Schedule