The peewee AAA St. Albert Cardinals swung bats like big boys in last weekend’s three-game sweep of the Fort McMurray Braves.
They banged out an amazing 56 hits, including eight home runs, and scored a mind-boggling 61 runs to improve their overall record to 14-2.
“The bats were locked and loaded,” said head coach Darren Mazur.
In the 14-8 series opener in Fort McMurray, Jackson Wark held the Braves to three hits and one run over five innings of solid pitching. He struck out seven and walked one batter. However, a shaky bullpen and a sag in defensive play allowed the Braves to tack up six runs in the seventh.
Mason Libich’s three-run homer highlighted a 12-hit attack. Matty Quartel, Austin Watamaniuk and Brendan Guy also turned in multi-hit performances.
The offensive onslaught continued in game two as the Cardinals pounded out 19 hits in the 19-8 drubbing. Watamaniuk and Cam Mazur cleared the fences twice. Their power display included back-to-back jacks in the fifth. Mazur was also one double away from completing the cycle while going 4-for-4.
Tyler Yaremchuk added three hits and Tanner McLean-Poll’s walk-off three-run blast sealed the deal in the mercy-rule win.
The last game was 28-12 in seven innings as the Braves kept chipping away to avoid getting mercied again. Nine runs in the seventh by the Cardinals completed the sweep. Mazur belted his third homer of the weekend and Libich cracked a grand slam as the deadly duo combined for 13 RBIs in the win.
Jordan Scott was hit by a pitch in the rib cage but shook it off and stroked four hits in retaliation. Quartel, Wark and Alex Marthinsen collected three hits apiece.
In league play the Cardinals are 10-1 going into Sunday’s doubleheader against SEEBA. Game times are noon and 3 p.m. at Rundle Park.
During the July long weekend the Cardinals are in tournament action in Kamloops.
