Blanks Lifts Grottoes Over Stuarts Draft

By Leyton Pullin
The Grottoes Cardinals defeated Stuarts Draft 6-5 in 10 Innings on Wednesday night.

Tucker Garrison got the start for Grottoes and the southpaw would toss 6 scoreless innings striking out 9 batters but wouldn’t get the decision as his counter part Jacob Matheney would throw 7 innings with two earned runs and struck out five. The scoring would start in the bottom of the 6th inning as the always dangerous Keegan Wolford would single and then Dylan Nicely would rip a double that would score Wolford giving the Cards a 1-0 lead. The D-backs would respond in the top of the 7th as Tanner Morris and Henry Cooke would reach on back to back walks. They would both score on a 2RBI double by Nate Burton who would later score giving Draft their first lead of the night at 3-1.

In the bottom of the 8th Grottoes would respond. Cam Irvine would lead off with a hard hit double and would score after an error allowed Jacob Merica to reach base who would also score. Keegan Woolford would walk and then be knocked in by a Dylan Nicely Double giving the Cards a 4-3 lead headed to the 9th. Tyler Pullin would come in for the save situation for the Cards. He would quickly hop out to two outs and an 0-2 count to Calen Owens who he would hit on the next pitch after a pitch got away on the inside half. He would eventually score on a rocket off the bat of Jack Pausic tying the game 4-4. Grottoes would load the bases in the bottom of the 9th but would come up short sending the game into extra innings. In the top of the 10th Will Hass would lead off the inning with a walk and would then score as Cody Bartley ripped a RBI double giving the D-backs a 5-4 lead.

Grottoes came to the plate in the bottom of the 10th as David Wood led off with a single followed by an Austin Nicely single to put two runners on for Jacob Dansey who would strike out. Then Isiah Blanks followed and hit a 2 RBI double to walk it off for the Cards giving them the win 6-5.

For Grottoes, pitcher Tyler Pullin said,” I’m not in the shape I should be but I want to thank the guys for backing me up and pushing the runs across,” after he gave up a run in the 9th and another in the 10th. Manager Tim Nicely said, “The big thing was our pitchers and defense keeping us in the game,” mimicking the team atmosphere Pullin talked about in the early season for the Cards. Tyler Pullin would pick up the win as the Card move to 4-1. Grottoes (4-1) will travel to Broadway in a rematch on Sunday.

For Stuarts Draft they drop to 0-4 but Manager Les Sandridge seemed to take away some positives from the loss, “Mentally we were right where we needed to be…. this is the team we needed and we crossed that crest.” Draft definitely found a positive on the mound in Jacob Matheney along with a new addition in Tanner Morris who made his presence felt in his first game of the season going 1 for 4 with a double and a stolen base. Stuarts Draft(0-4) will host New Market(2-2) on Sunday.