Pitman’s Bradley Enos made a good first impression in his debut for the Stanislaus Cardinals Babe Ruth 18-year-old team.
Enos of Pitman started the game and was nearly untouchable as he went four innings and allowed only one run on three hits and struck out six while helping last year’s regional runner-ups put away Ripon in an 8-4 victory at the Turlock High field on Friday afternoon.
“Bradley is one of our younger kids and he will contribute when he gets his opportunity and today it just showed that when he is asked to do something he will be able to do it,” said Babe Ruth head coach Bobby Swedberg.
He was so good that through the first three innings, Enos retired eight consecutive Ripon batters at one point.
“We will build off that for the rest of the summer and we expect big things from him,” Swedberg said of Enos.
With nearly half the team gone for either senior trips or vacation time, the Cardinals had to rely on their thin roster of nine on Friday afternoon, but it proved to be enough.
Former Pitman baseball player Trevor Chaney and recent Turlock graduate Cody Cornell were both 2-for-3 for the game behind an offense that surged in the opening two innings.
Hilmar’s Alex Chavez led off in the top of the first with a single and before the inning had ended, Pitman’s Dylan Robert’s two-run single gave the Cardinals a 5-0 lead.
“We hit the ball hard early, you could tell these kids have been off for a few weeks up to a month, but offensive was good,” Swedberg said. “We didn’t get a whole lot of opportunity on defense and our pitchers got to work today, so we were pleased.”
Three hits and a two-run second inning gave the home team a 7-0 lead by the end of the second inning and behind some consistent pitching the lead never let up.
Chaney came in to relieve Enos in the top of the fifth and managed to hold on to the lead heading into the final inning.
Cornell pitched a three-up and three-down sixth inning and the Cardinals went on to pick up their first win of the summer season.
“We only had nine guys, but I liked what we saw,” said Swedberg. “The kids are having fun and getting along since most these kids know each other or played against each other and that’s huge to see us come together and by the end of the summer they should really be clicking.”
The Cardinals next game will be against Lodi at 9 a.m. today.
