Cardinals Hand Braves First Loss

By Dean Barker
​The Grottoes Cardinals got ahead early and managed to hold off the undefeated Montezuma Braves 10-6 on the road Friday, May 26. With the win, the Cardinals improved to 2-1 while the Braves fell to 2-1.

“We got off to a better start, first couple of games we didn’t, and we got a home run early,” Cardinals head coach Tim Nicely said. “We were able to get a bit of a lead, and that was the first time we were able to do that this year, so that helped us.”

Noah Burtner picked up the win, throwing the sixth and seventh innings, giving up one unearned run on no hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Josh Nielsen took the loss for the Braves, allowing seven earned runs to score on eight hits with one strikeout and two walks.

Cameron Irvine got it all started in the second with a solo shot to center field to put Grottoes up 1-0. The Braves would respond in the bottom of the fourth, as Tyler Smith would single, and scored on a two out error on a grounder from Luke Olimpio.

Dylan Nicely kicked off the top of the fifth with a double to center. Whit Scafidi would reach on an error, and after a Natty Solomon single loaded the bases, Jacob Merica would drive in one with a single to the pitcher, and Garret Huffman plated two with a single to make the score 4-1.

Nicely led off the sixth with a double to center field as well, this one a ground rule double. He would come home on an infield single from Solomon. ‘Zuma would put this run back on the board in the bottom half with a bases loaded walk to JT Stevenson.

With two on and one out in the top of the seventh, Clayton Michael would plate them both with a ground rule double, and Nicely would plate him with a monster opposite field shot to right. Solomon would plate Scafidi with a double to make the score 10-2.

The Braves would cut the deficit to five in the bottom of the eighth with a two run RBI triple from Michael Robertson and an RBI groundout from Stevenson. They would add another run in the ninth as Owen Marshall came home on a wild throw to third, but that would be all Montezuma could do.

The Cardinals had ten runs on sixteen hits with four errors and stranded fifteen baserunners. The Braves scored six runs on seven hits with three errors and left ten runners on. 

Dylan Nicely and Natty Solomon both went 3-5 with two RBIs and a walk to lead the Cardinals. Michael was 2-6 with two RBIs. Huffman was 3-3 with two RBIs. Irvine went 1-4 with an RBI and two walks. Merica was 2-5 with an RBI.

Robertson was 1-2 with two RBIs and three hit-by-pitches. Stevenson was 0-4 with two RBIs. Olimpio was 2-4, Smith was 2-5, Marshall was 1-3, and Jacob Cude was 1-5.

The Cardinals will host the Stuarts Draft Diamondbacks on Monday, May 29 at 7:30 pm. To win that game, Coach Nicely says the Cardinals will need to play like they did on Friday.

“The same recipe that we always try to have is good pitching and good defense, and try to score some runs early,” Nicely said.

The Braves will be back in action when they host the defending RCBL champion Bridgewater Reds on Wednesday, May 31 at 7:30 pm. Braves head coach Chris Rush emphasized that his team will need to hit better to win.

“Our thing, probably offensively, is gonna be (to) get on them early and try to get to the pen,” Rush said.

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