Baseball: Cardinals Split Games with Cheltenham

Going into Friday afternoon's game with Cheltenham, the Upper Dublin Cardinals Baseball team was playing its best baseball of the season. Winners of four in a row, the Cardinals came into the game looking to extend the streak to five.

Cheltenham, however, had different plans.

The Cardinals turned in a lackadaisical performance, turning routine plays into errors in their 11-0 loss Friday afternoon. The loss dropped their record on the season to 5-9.

Starting pitcher Jesse Kohler was sent to the mound for the Cardinals, but it was clear from the start he did not have his best stuff. After walking a man onto first, Kohler allowed an RBI double to give Cheltenham an early 1-0 lead. Cheltenham would tack on two more runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 3-0 after the first. 

With Kohler having trouble on the mound, the Cardinals needed their offense to step up. The bats were silent, however, as Upper Dublin was only able to manage one hit off Cheltenham in the first two innings. Upper Dublin hit the ball hard, but great defensive plays by Cheltenham, along with some help from the wind, kept the Cardinals off the bases.

Things fell apart for Kohler in the bottom of the 2nd, as an error by third baseman Joe Crane allowed the lead off batter for Cheltenham to reach safely. Cheltenham took advantage of the error, bringing in another run only 2 batters later off of an RBI double. 

Kohler struggled with his command all day, and walked in a run with the bases loaded to make it 5-0 Cheltenham. Cheltenham would put an end to Kohler's day with a 2 run RBI single to make it 7-0. Dan Jacobson would come in for the Cardinals to record the final out. 

With the game all but out of reach, the Cardinals looked like they were going to make a comeback in the bottom half of the inning. With a man on 3rd and 2 outs, Upper Dublin's Ethan Gregg got under a ball and hit it deep to center field. But the wind slowed the ball down, allowing Cheltenham to make the catch. 

Cheltenham delivered the final blow in the bottom of the 3rd, as they would score 4 runs on 4 hits, with the help of 2 walks. Another big inning gave Cheltenham an 11-0 lead, a lead that was big enough to end the game after only the 5th inning.

After the game, Cardinals manger Ed Wall said mental errors were the reason for the big loss. 

"We did not come to play defensively. Our pitcher was wild up in the zone. We had difficulty getting outs." said Cardinals manager Ed Wall. "Some of the plays today, we get those in the games we win. We didn't get them today."

Upper Dublin would go on to take some of that luck back, as they defeated the Cardinals 12-2 in the second game of the double header.

THe Cardinals are now winners of 5 of their last 6. After a 1-8 start, Wall said that it was the players determination to win that fueled the latest hot streak.

The Cardinals next play on Monday, when they travel to Upper Moreland.