Cardinals fall to Warhawks in first round of Class 2A District action

The Garner-Hayfield/Ventura baseball team faced West Fork, the champions of the Corn Bowl Conference, for the opening round of Class 2A District action on Monday, July 15.  

A much improved Cardinal team gave the Warhawks a much better game than the first go around when West Fork topped G-H/V, 10-4, on June 13.  Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the outcome was the same, 

but the score was much better at 2-0.

G-H/V held the Warhawks scoreless in the first three innings, but West Fork managed runs in the fourth and sixth innings to seal the deal.  G-H/V had chances to score in the first and fourth innings with runners on base and one out, but failed to get them home.  Heath Hutcheson and Josh Theobald were the only Cardinals that were able to get hits off West Fork pitcher Spencer Halloran.

The game was a battle of pitchers, with Halloran hurling for West Fork and Zach Buseman handling all seven innings for the Cardinals.

Buseman scattered six hits.  He walked one batter and struck out four.  Halloran gave up only two hits and struck out 12 batters.

G-H/V got the season off to a rough start opening with a 2-10 record, but turned it around and garnered a five game win streak late in the year to end with a record of 10-19.

West Fork (17-7) went on to play Central Springs (19-11) on Tuesday, July 16.  The hits were flying in the matchup, but Central Springs prevailed 17-15.