The Cardinals have played well in recent years on Panther Field, falling this time in extra innings
Bishop Ireton’s young ballclub once again played WCAC heavyweight PVI tough Friday night, falling 2-1 in 8 innings in Fairfax before getting drilled Monday night in a game Coach Mike Gallagher described as “our poorest effort of the season” 11-0 at Flint Hill in 5 innings.
The Cardinals play the Panthers close and Friday was no exception. Sophomore Cody Hagenston battled Robbie Kidd for 6 1/3 innings on Panther Field, nursing a 1-0 lead before PVI knotted the score in the bottom of the 7th to send the game to extra frames.
Ireton threatened in the top of the second inning when they garnered a single and error on Kidd, but the Cal State Fullerton-bound hurler retired the next three Cardinals to work out of the jam. PVI had the makings of a rally in the bottom half of the inning, but sloppy baserunning kept the Panthers off the scoreboard.
The red and gold did plate the game’s first tally in the third when Andrew Selby singled, stole second and advanced to third on catcher Corey Phillips’ base hit. A passed ball then scored Selby and the redbirds clung to the slim lead into the game’s final inning.
PVI’s Lucas Martinez, who was 4 for 4 on the evening, drove home the tying run in Colin May with his third hit. The Panthers then touched the Cardinals Jake Gutmann, in relief, for a double in the bottom of the 8th. A wild pitch sent sent the winning run to third with no outs and Ireton’s Gallagher ordered a pair of intentional passes to set up a double play opportunity.
Enter Martinez, who proved to be a one man wrecking crew on the evening. His two-hopper to second was a tough play and the throw home sent Phillips up the third base line where the Panthers slid hard into the plate with the winning run.
“Bishop Ireton seems to always play us as tough as anyone in the WCAC.” commented PVI’s head coach, Billy Emerson. “Ever since they ended our 22-game conference win streak two years ago, we seem to be in a dogfight every time. You know they will play you hard and they are well coached.”
The emotional toll of the Friday night setback may have had an impact, with the Cambridge Road crew looking at major league style schedule of 4 games in 5 days, but the Monday contest was a disaster for the redbirds, falling 11-0 in mercy-rule 5 inning affair. “I don’t know what happened,” said Gallagher in postgame comments. “I guess it’s good we go right back out there on Tuesday and get this one behind us. ”
Bishop Ireton hosts St Mary’s Ryken on Tuesday, St Johns on Thursday, Sidwell Friends in a nonconference tilt Friday before ending the 4-game homestand Saturday with Bishop McNamara at Four Mile Run Park’s Frank Mann Field.
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