Thursday
Game 1:
The Cardinals scored early and took a 1-0 lead just two batters into the game. Leadoff hitter Griffin Carney doubled to the left field wall and stole third base. Grady Emerson took advantage of the scoring opportunity, hitting a single to left field and driving in Carney for the early advantage.
Fort Worth Christian extended its lead in the third inning. After Griffin Carney struckout, Emerson singled and Braylen James walked on four pitches. Jaxon Casselberry then singled on the first pitch to left, scoring Emerson and making it 2-0.
The Cardinals increased their lead in the fifth when Jake Parkerson hit a two-out single and Emerson scored from third. In the sixth, Emerson recorded his second double and fourth hit of the game, bringing in Andrew Ridgell to make it a 4-0 game.
While Fort Worth Christian collected eleven hits and four runs, the early lead was all their pitching staff needed. Righthander David Salas led the effort on the mound, pitching five innings with control. He allowed just one hit, two walks and hit one batter, while striking out seven. Fred Hall replaced Salas in the sixth, allowing just one walk over two innings and closing out the game for the Cardinals’ 4–0 victory.
Game 2:
After a quick turnaround, the Cardinals faced Cornerstone Christian in Game 2, with Andrew Ridgell taking the mound.
The Cardinals took an early lead in the second inning. Jake Parkerson doubled and Hank Austin singled him home. A pitcher’s error advanced the runner, allowing Blayne MacDonald to drive him in with a grounder, putting the Cardinals up 2-0.
Cornerstone responded quickly in the third, taking advantage of Ridgell with a walk and a double. A grounder scored the first run, followed by back-to-back hits that gave them a 3-2 lead. After a strikeout, Cornerstone added a fourth run, making the score 4-2 in the bottom of the third.
The Cardinals immediately erased the deficit in the bottom of the third. Pierson walked, and although he was forced out on a grounder by Carney, Carney eventually scored on a wild pitch following a single by Emerson. Braylen James reached on a missed third strike, allowing Jake Parkerson to single past the shortstop, scoring Emerson and tying the game at 4.
The bullpen, led by Samuel Welsh and Ben Rodriguez, stifled Cornerstone’s offense for the remainder of the game, allowing just one hit and a walk over 2 1/3 innings.
In the bottom of the fifth, with time running out, Griffin Carney singled. Grady Emerson then launched a fastball deep into right-center, scoring Carney from first and giving the Cardinals a 5-4 lead. The game was concluded two batters later as time expired, securing Fort Worth Christian’s hard-fought 5-4 win.
Friday
Fort Worth Christian faced Dallas HSAA (Angels) on Friday night, with Caleb Brateris pitching for the Cardinals.
Fort Worth Christian scored first. Leadoff hitter Griffin Carney was hit by a pitch, then stole second and third base. Grady Emerson singled to left-center to bring Carney home. Emerson then stole second base, advanced to third on a flyout and scored on a sacrifice fly, extending the Cardinals’ early lead.
Dallas HSAA countered with two runs in the top of the third inning. Two quick outs, a walk and a single led to runners. An errant throw into the dugout allowed one runner to score. An error then extended the inning, leading to a game-tying double before Emerson’s cutoff throw to home plate shot down the potential lead runner.
Fort Worth Christian quickly regained the lead in the bottom of the third inning. After the first two batters reached base, Carney was eliminated, but Emerson advanced to second base. Braylen James then singled to right, scoring Emerson and putting the Cardinals up 3-2.
Fort Worth Christian extended its lead in the fifth. The leadoff batter walked. Emerson stole second and moved to third on an error, putting runners on the corners. The runner on first base then stole second base, and Jake Parkerson singled to right field to drive home a run for a 5-2 lead. Parkerson would advance to third base on a Hit batter and walk before scoring on a sacrifice fly, making the lead 6-2. Hunter Hampton hit a sacrifice fly to make it a 7-2 game. The time limit was reached two batters later, ending the ballgame.
Saturday’s games were canceled due to bad weather heading into the Metroplex area with no confirmed make-up dates.
Summary
Fort Worth Christian improved to 6-1 on the season after finishing the tournament with a perfect 3-0 record.
The key to the weekend’s success was the efficiency of the bullpen. Over the three games, relievers combined for 6 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit and three walks while shutting out opponents without giving up a run.
In addition to strong pitching, the Cardinals offense was potent throughout the three games. They scored 22 hits and stole 12 bases, causing problems for the opposing pitchers and catchers.
In addition to the dominant bullpen, Grady Emerson was the standout player of the tournament, going 7-for-9 with four RBIs and two stolen bases.
Photo via Tyler Rix, FWC Baseball
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