Tough start to the season for the Cardinals

It was a rough start to the season for the Garner-Hayfield/Ventura baseball team. The Cardinals opened the season with four losses before picking up a win.

Newell Fonda 2, GHV 1
 The Newell Fonda pitcher kept the Cardinals at bay in the May 26 game, allowing GHV only one hit in the entire game. Newell Fonda pitcher Brady Dicks recorded 11 strike-outs in the 2-1 victory.

 The Mustangs scored both their runs in the third inning. The Cardinals scored their run in the sixth inning.
 GHV pitching duties were handled by James Payton. He also recorded 11 strike-outs and gave up six hits.
 Braden Meints scored GHV’s lone run and Cade Baker recorded the only hit, a double that knocked in Meints.
 Jim Ermer and Harley Forry led the team in stolen bases with two apiece. Meints had one stolen base.

West Marshall 9, GHV 7
 Both teams had hot bats in a game played at Garner on May 26. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, it was West Marshall who got the most batters home in a 9-7 win over GHV.
 Things looked promising for the Cardinals, as they collected three runs in the first inning. The Trojans answered that by scoring three in the second. By the bottom of the fifth, the Cardinals had a one run lead, 7-6. West Marshall had a strong sixth inning, collecting three more runs and the victory.
 West Marshall had a total of 13 hits compared to GHV’s seven.
 Jim Ermer and Alek Goll both scored two runs for the Cards, while Spencer Shaw, Cade Baker and Holden Hutcheson each crossed home plate once.
 Collecting singles were Josh Theobald, Braden Meints, Payton James, Hutcheson, Goll, Harry Roberts and Ermer. Harley Forry, Theobald, James, Hutcheson and Roberts each had one RBI.
 Shaw, Meints and James led the team in stolen bases with two apiece. Theobald and Ermer each stole one base.
 Pitching duties for the night were split between Theobald, Shaw and Luke Wolf. Theobald pitched five innings and had seven strike-outs, walked six and gave up 12 hits. Shaw and Wolf each pitched one inning. Shaw had two strike-outs and gave up one hit.

North Union 10, GHV 1
 It was a long night for the Cardinals when they hosted North Union on Wednesday, May 28. North Union topped GHV 10-1.
 North Union got the bats warmed up early, collecting seven of their 10 runs in the second and third innings. The Cardinals scored their run in the sixth inning.
 The Wildcats collected 13 hits for the night, compared to three for the Cards.
 GHV’s Spencer Shaw took the loss on the mound with four strike-outs. He gave up two hits, walked four and allowed four runs. Corey Boeckman came in for four and one-half innings and gave up 11 hits, six runs, walked two and struck-out two. North Union’s Corey Vaske gave up only one hit and struck-out nine.
 Jake Wolf had a good night at the plate for the Cardinals, connecting on two hits. He also had one RBI that knocked in GHV’s only run by Harry Roberts.

H-D 4, GHV 1
 It was a tough road trip for the Cardinals when they traveled to Hampton-Dumont on Thursday, May 29. The Bulldogs handed GHV a 4-1 loss.
 The game was slow until the fourth inning when GHV got a run across the plate. The Cards held their one run lead until the sixth inning. H-D scored all four in that inning.
 The Wolf brothers, Jake and Luke, split the pitching duties for the night. Jake Wolf took the loss on the mound, throwing 5.33 innings. He gave up five hits and four runs. He walked two and struck out one.
 The Bulldogs collected six hits to the Cardinals’ two.
 Jake Wolf knocked in Josh Theobald for the Cardinal’s lone run.
 In addition to his run, Theobald also had a single and three stolen bases for the Cardinals.

GHV 7, Rockford 3
 The Cardinals added a game to the win column, topping Rockford, 7-3, on Friday, May 30.
 GHV started fast, collecting six of their seven runs in the first three innings. Rockford didn’t get on the board until the fifth when they scored all three of their runs. The Cards were held scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings and picked up one more run in the sixth.
 Holden Hutcheson was the winning pitcher for GHV, striking out seven, walking four and giving up three runs. Josh Theobald was the relief pitcher. He also did a fine job, striking out five and walking only one.
 Although the Cards scored sevens runs, their bats weren’t very hot, collecting only three hits. Spencer Shaw, Alek Goll and Braden Meints recorded singles.
 Goll and Theobald led the team in RBI’s with two apiece. Shaw and Meints each had one RBI.
 Jim Ermer’s speed helped him to get over the plate three times. He also led the team in stolen bases with two. Also scoring for the Cardinals was Shaw with two runs. Goll and Luke Wolf each scored one run.