Cardinals drop two close games

The Garner-Hayfield/Ventura baseball team had a tough week, dropping two games by one run, to Central Springs and another to Emmetsburg.  The team was scheduled to play Central Springs on Saturday, July 13, but due to inclement weather, the game was moved to Monday, July 15 (results of that game will be published in next week’s edition of the Clear Lake Mirror-Reporter).

Central Springs 5, G-H/V 4

The Cardinals came out strong against Central Springs on Tuesday, July 9, but couldn’t hold on to the momentum.

G-H/V opened the game scoring two runs in the first inning.  Central Springs came alive in the second inning and scored three runs of their own.  The Panthers scored two more runs in the fifth, making the score 5-2.  It wasn’t until the sixth inning that the Cardinals were able to get two more runs across the plate. It wasn’t enough, as the team fell, 5-4.

Heath Hutcheson took the loss on the mound.  He gave up six hits and five runs.  He walked three batters and struck out two.  Central Spring’s Josh Van Lent also managed to hit a homerun off Hutcheson.  Zach Buseman pitched two and one half innings for the Cardinals.  He gave up two hits and struck out two.

Hutcheson led the team on offense with two hits, one run and one RBI.  One of Hutcheson’s hits was a double.  Collecting one hit apiece were Buseman, Braden Meints and Keith Schwickerath.  Spencer Shaw, Hutcheson, Hrbues and Blake Johnson scored the Cardinal runs.

Buseman, Hrubes and Schwickerath had one RBI apiece.

Emmetsburg 6, G-H/V 5

G-H/V came out on the short side of a game played against Emmetsburg on Wednesday, July 10.  The E-Hawks topped the Cardinals, 6-5.

The Cardinals played a more consistent game than Emmetsburg, scoring one run in the first inning and two in each of the third and fourth innings.  If it wasn’t for a disastrous fourth inning, where the E-Hawks scored all six of their runs, the Cardinals may have been able to pull out the victory.

Josh Theobald and Nathan Hrubes had a good night at the plate.  Each collected two hits and had one RBI.  Spencer Shaw, Heath Hutcheson, Braden Meints and Keith Schwickerath had one hit apiece.  Hutcheson’s hit was a double that brought in a runner.

Shaw scored two times for the Cardinals, while Hutcheson, Theobald and Zach Buseman all crossed home plate once.

G-H/V went through three pitchers trying to find some rhythm on the mound.  Shaw took the loss, giving up four hits and five runs.  He walked four and struck out two.  Theobald gave up two hits and one run.  He struck out one, but Emmetsburg’s Jake Jackson was able to hit a homerun off one of Theobald’s pitches.  Nathan Hrubes pitched two innings, giving up two hits.  He walked two and struck out one.