Bruins Snap Cardinals Win Streak

By Dean Barker
After six shutout innings from the Grottoes Cardinals pitching staff, the Broadway Bruins came alive in the seventh and eighth to take the lead and win 3-1 at home on Tuesday, June 22. The win avenged a 10-6 loss for Broadway to Grottoes from Friday, June 18. It also snapped a four game win streak for the Cardinals, who had beaten three undefeated teams and last year’s RCBL runner up in the New Market Shockers.

Bruins head coach Chip Abernathy made it clear that he pulls no punches against the Cardinals. 
“They’re the scariest team to me,” Abernathy told RCBL’s Dean Barker. “I’m glad we’re done with them, we don’t play them anymore this year until the playoffs.”

With the win, Broadway improved to 5-1 on the year, while Grottoes fell to 4-3. Jordan Yankey picked up the win for the Bruins, pitching the seventh and eighth innings and striking out four. James Riddel picked up the save, striking out three batters swinging and giving up just one hit to Garrison. Andrew Baugher took the loss for Grottoes, giving up all three runs in the last three innings, although one was unearned. Tucker Garrison threw the first five innings, allowing no runs and throwing four strikeouts for Grottoes to get the no-decision.

After Dylan Nicely opened the top of the fourth with a double to center field, Cochran would retire the next two, but Jacob Merica would drive him in with a single to put Grottoes up 1-0.

The Cardinals began to pose a threat in the top of the seventh, as Merica reached with a single to center field and Garrison was walked. Following a strikeout from Andrew Baugher, a rundown broke out, as Nicely was well off of second base. He would be tagged out by shortstop Jett Shue, but Garrison would move to second, where he would be stranded. The Bruins tied it up in the bottom half with an RBI groundout from pinch hitter Ben Hutcheson to bring in Caleb Taylor.

The eighth inning was where it all fell apart for Grottoes. Shue would lead off with a pop out to Jacob Zoller at second base. Peyton Davis would pinch hit for Trent Abernathy, and reached second base thanks to a throwing error from shortstop Clayton Michael on a grounder. Trevor Thomas would then reach on a throwing error from third baseman Jacob Dansey, and Davis would come around to score, as the throw home from first baseman David Wood was high. The throw also allowed Thomas to reach third, where pinch hitter Jacob Petersheim would drive him in with an RBI single. Fortunately for Grottoes, Taylor would lineout to a leaping Wood, who landed on first base for the second and third outs.

The game was a pitcher’s duel, with only six hits for each team. The Cardinals left eight runners on base, whereas the Bruins left five.

Jacob Merica led the way for the Cardinals, going 2-4 with an RBI in the fourth. Jacob Taylor went 2-4 for the Bruins with a double, single and a run scored.

Coach Abernathy was pleased that the two RBIs came from bench players in Hutcheson and Petersheim.
“We want to get everybody playing, we want everyone to be a part of it,” Abernathy told RCBL’s Dean Barker. “Every night, it seems like it’s a different guy that gets the hit, so that’s been the nice part of it.”

The Bruins will have two days to rest before they host the Montezuma Braves on Friday, June 25 at 7:30. The Cardinals will hope to bounce back on Thursday, June 24 when they travel to Elkton to take on the Blue Sox at 7:30.

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