| Strong pitching, defense lead baseball to tie vs. Wildcats | | Print | |
| Written by Avi Baskin | |
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Senior Evan Brydon was on the mound for one of the biggest preseason games of the year. It sounds odd that a preseason game would have such importance, but Lowell was playing the Saint Ignatius Wildcats for the first time in four years. The West Coast Athletic League, Saint Ignatius’s league, is widely regarded as the most competitive in the Bay Area, and Lowell wanted to prove they could compete at a higher level.
Brydon, by far the number-one pitcher on the team, was looking to shut down a potent Wildcat offense under Tuesday’s rainy skies. The Cardinals struck first in the third inning after Brydon, who also had two of the team’s four hits, knocked in senior shortstop Max Newman from second base. The Cardinals pressured the Wildcats throughout the game, debunking many spectators’ predictions that the Wildcats would easily take the victory. However, in the fourth inning, Saint Ignatius had an answer. Brydon, who was dialed in all game, left one pitch up and allowed Saint Ignatius’s starting pitcher to hit a homerun. This pitch was one of Brydon’s only mistakes in his gem of a performance. The Cardinals looked to rally to victory in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, senior second basemen Derrick Figueras walked. Senior right fielder Adam Berke came to the plate and was looking to bunt Figueras over to second. However, after he fouled back the first pitch, coach John Donahue called for senior infielder Otto Cordona to pinch hit. Cordona also tried to bunt but fouled it off. With the count 0-2, Donahue called for another pinch hitter, putting in sophomore Chris Wang, a suspect coaching call. Wong struck out looking, which left Newman at the plate with two outs. Known for his ability to come through in the clutch, Newman was exactly the man the Cardinals wanted at the plate in this situation. However, after fighting off a number of pitches, Newman grounded out to third, and the rally was over. The game went into extra innings, but was called at the end of the eighth inning, as the sun went down with the score 1-1. “It was bittersweet to tie with them,” Newman said. “It's a big pride game and it would have been a huge win. But to hang with that team is a sign of good things to come.” Other Cardinals were frustrated by the loss. “We had many opportunities where a base hit could give us the lead, but we just could not execute,” senior designated hitter Max Schumm said. “We have to be better at finishing situations. Many times we had men on base that we could not get in.” Although the game was a tie, the contest proved that the Cardinals can play with a solid baseball team. Their defense, especially the infield of senior third basemen Mike Lazarus, shortstop Newman, second basemen Figueras and junior first basemen Narin Leininger, is very solid. Newman and Figueras combined for a beautiful double play combination, and Leininger had two impressive picks. While defense may be a strong point for the Cardinals, their pitching rotation is suspect. After Byrdon, there is no solid number two on the team, which could be a problem, because the AAA schedule is structured in a way that the Cardinals face each of their league opponents two days in a row. Brydon will not be able to pitch every day. Unlike Lowell, Saint Ignatius had three solid pitchers who shut down the Cardinals’ bats, while Brydon was forced to throw close to 100 pitches. Currently, Schumm is set to be the number-two starter on the team, while sophomore Nate Gilchrist will also have a chance on the mound. The strength of the pitchers behind Brydon will dictate the Cardinals’ success this year. Looking to repeat as city champions, the Cardinals will have to fend off their main competition in Washington, Lincoln and Galileo. However, if the pitching can remain strong, and the Cardinals’ bats get going, they could reach the top of the league come May. The Cardinals’ next game is 11 a.m. tomorrow at Terra Nova High School against the Tigers. |
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