Colts hold on to beat Cardinals

OZARK — Call it an ugly win, but the Wiregrass Colts will take it.

The Colts nearly lost a double-digit lead to the Wiregrass 19-under Cardinals Friday, committed seven errors on defense, had a passed ball allow a runner to reach, a runner picked off second base and another runner wiped out after oversliding the bag.

Yet, they survived it all, getting clutch relief pitching from Justin Bryan and a three-run sixth to earn a 15-11 win over the Cardinals in the opening game of the Cardinal Classic at Ozark’s Eagle Stadium.

After winning, the Colts lost to the Cardinals’ 16-under team, 19-4, in the tournament’s other game Friday.
In the opening game, the Colts led 11-1 by the third inning but the Cardinals surged back to within a run before the Colts pulled away at the end.

“That is the first time we have beaten them since we both joined AAU, so it feels good to win that one,” Colts coach Jake Kirkland said. “I wasn’t glad that we
let them come back like that, but I was glad that when it happened we came back and scored a few more runs.”

The Colts started off fast, scoring four in the first, two in the second and five in the third to build the 11-1 advantage.

Devin Shoemaker powered the surge, belting a two-run homer in the second and a three-run homer in the third.

But things began to unravel for the Colts in the fourth.

Starter Jarod Moseley had allowed only one hit through three innings. But he began to struggle with control, and the Cardinals offense warmed up. Poor Colt
defense helped the Cardinals rally.

The Cardinals rolled up seven runs in the fourth, making it 11-8. Chase Baldwin and Tyler Booth both had RBI singles and Cass Abercrombie a run-scoring
double.

The inning was aided by two Colt errors, including a two-out dropped fly ball that would have ended the inning. Two runs scored on the error and two more
scored on the next two batters. Moseley also walked two and hit two batters in the inning before being relieved.

After an Austin Galloway RBI single boosted the Colts’ lead to four runs, the Cardinals continued their surge, scoring three in the bottom of the fifth to close the
gap to just a run, 12-11. Ben Drake had a RBI single in the inning, which featured two more Colt errors.

The Colts, though, answered with three runs in the top of the sixth. Michael Hand drew a bases-loaded walk and Dion Bryant ripped a two-run single, helping
the Colts extend the lead to 15-11.

Bryan did the rest. The Colts hurler worked the final two innings, not allowing a run despite some shaky defense behind him. He gave up two hits.

Bryant, the Colts’ lead-off hitter, was 4-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored. Shoemaker, the No. 3 hitter, was 3-for-5, adding a double to his two homers
and five RBIs. Chuck Holmes was 2-for-4.

Moseley picked up the win, and Bryan earned a save.

Abercrombie had two doubles and two RBIs and Booth had two hits and an RBI to pace the Cardinal offense, which finished with nine hits.

William Teel, the starter, took the loss for the Cardinals.

Junior Cardinals 19, Colts 4: Thanks to a 10-run first inning, this game was never close. Justin Byrd hit a triple and a single, and Craig Shirley added a three-
run home run — all in the first inning.

Overall, Dustin Whitfield had three hits, Taylor Robinson two hits and Adam White hit a single and a double.

The tournament resumes today with three games, starting at 10 a.m. with the Colts facing Tallahassee Baseball. Tallahassee then plays the Lynn Haven Black
Sox at 1 p.m., and Lynn Haven plays the Wiregrass Cardinals 19-under team at 4 p.m.

The three-day event concludes with three games Sunday. Tallahassee faces the Wiregrass Cardinals 19 under team at 10 a.m., then the Colts at 1 p.m. The

Cardinals play Lynn Haven in the final game at 4 p.m.