The regular season concluded this past weekend for the Stanislaus County Cardinals Babe Ruth baseball team after a 19-game year and an 18-1 record to show for it.
The season ended on a nine-game winning streak for the Cardinals who won their final three contests in convincing fashion heading into the postseason.
Only one run was allowed by the Cardinals in their final three games as they won 15-0, 4-1 and 9-0 in the closer.
“We were able to finish the summer strong. We want to fine tune some things and we’re looking forward for the state tourney this upcoming weekend,” said Cardinals head coach Bobby Swedberg.
The defense was a huge part of the Cardinals success, which committed only one error in the three games.
In Thursday’s game, the Cardinals managed to 10-run mercy rule against Big Valley behind a strong start from Tyler Murphy.
Murphy tossed four innings, walked two, struck out nine and allowed only one hit and no runs. Offensively, he went 2-for-3 with three RBI and scored two runs.
Pitman 2013 graduate Brennan Hauser was 2-for-2 with an RBI in that game.
“Definitely a mix of everything helped us, when Murphy pitches, he gives us the best defense behind us,” said Swedberg. “He has confidence in the defense and when you have confidence like that you can pick and decide where to throw it and it showed.”
In Saturday’s doubleheader against Hollister, the Cardinals came out with a big 4-1 win after Turlock recent graduate Gavin Gaffaney started and pitched seven innings, allowing just one run on four hits and struck out three behind yet another stellar defensive performance by the Cardinals.
Hollister led 1-0 after the first inning and then with two outs in the bottom of the first, the Cardinals bats came alive and responded with two runs in the second and then another two in the fifth to put the game out of reach.
Turlock recent graduate Blake Cederlind was 2-for-2 with two RBI and Murphy finished 1-for-3.
In the second game against Hollister, the Cardinals were able to notch the 9-0 shutout victory behind a strong start from recent Hilmar graduate Jacob Ahid.
Ahid tossed five innings, allowing just three hits, two walks and striking out seven while allowing no runs.
“Jacob gets the ball in the second game and, again, the defense we have behind us provides the pitchers confidence to throw around the strike zone and that’s what he did,” said Swedberg about Ahid. “He lives around the strike zone, but again defense great job.”
Hauser finished the game 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs scored. Murphy finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.
No errors were committed in both contests against Hollister.
The Cardinals open up their postseason with a game against Kern West in Hollister’s Memorial Stadium at 5 p.m. Friday.
