Just before the Warriors tipped off against the Blazers for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, the #1 Cardinal Newman Cardinals hosted the #16 Moreau Catholic Mariners Tuesday afternoon in the first round of the NCS Division 3 baseball playoffs.
Cardinal Newman Pitcher Sean Flowers (Sr.) got the nod for starting duties and did not disappoint as he finished with 8 strikeouts, 5 hits, 1 earned run and no walks in 6 innings of work.
Flowers got help early when the Cardinals’ Shane Moran (So.) and Jordan Herrfeldt (Sr.) would draw walks and convert a double steal. Carson Crawford (So.) would bring Moran in with a sac fly giving the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead after one.
The Mariners would go three up three down in the top of the second and Newman was back up to bat. Will Larson (Sr.) would draw a walk, Ian Sullivan (Jr.) would single and Sean Latham (Jr.) would lay down a bunt to load the bases for Crawford who would bring home Larson with a sac fly. After two, the Cardinals would lead 2-0.
Another quick inning from Flowers would have the Cardinals at the plate and ready to attack. After an Andrew Lombardi (Jr.) walk, Nick George (Sr.) would launch a ball deep into right center field—just past the outstretched gloves of two Mariners. George would get on his horse and leg out an inside-the-park home run, just beating the tag with a head first slide at home. After three innings, the Cardinals led 4-0.
Flowers would log another three up three down inning and the Cardinals would have the bats back in their hands for the bottom of the fourth, but would finally be held to a scoreless inning. Flowers would give up his lone run in the top of the fifth after a couple of singles and a fielders’ choice. In the bottom of the fifth, Newman would get a leadoff triple from Lombardi and George would bring him home with a single, but would later be caught trying to steal second. After five, the Cardinals led 5-0.
A final three up three down inning from Flowers would end his stellar start and put Newman up to bat for their final at bats. The Cardinals would experience their own three up three down inning before Crawford took the hill to finish the game. Crawford would seal the deal with back-to-back fly outs to center and left field and a ground out to short.
Final Score: Cardinal Newman 5, Moreau Catholic 1.
Cardinal Newman advances to the second round of NCS and will host the winner of St. Joseph Notre Dame and Campolindo on Friday at 5pm.
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 5 0
1 1 2 0 1 0 X 5 7 0
WP- Sean Flowers
LP- Gerardo Vargas
Nick George 2-3 HR 2 RBI’s
Shane Moran 0-2 2 BB 1 SB 1 RBI