Upper Dublin Baseball Gets First Win Of Season

Before Monday's game againt Cheltenham, Upper Dublin's varsity baseball coach Ed Wall told his team that today marked the beginning of a new season.

Well if that's the case, the Cardinals are now undefeated.

Putting their 0-5 record in the rear-view mirror, the Cardinals picked up their first win of the season behind strong pitching and a timely ejection 8-5.

Upper Dublin rode the arm of Andrew Carber to the victory. Carber was making his first start on a varsity level, and it was an impressive debut. Carber allowed six hits and only three earned runs (unofficially) in 5 2/3 innings pitched. 

"I'm so proud of Andrew," said Wall. "He's a big sophomore with a lot of potential." 

Carber started the day off by striking out the first batter he saw, but ran into some early trouble. After allowing a single to Cheltenham, Carber was hit for an RBI double to make it 1-0 Cheltenham in the first inning. 

Upper Dublin would respond in the bottom half of the inning. After Jared Zarwin drew a walk to get on base, Ethan Gregg smacked an RBI single to tie the game. The Cardinals would load the bases in the inning, but failed to bring home another run. 

The Cardinals' play became sloppy in the second inning and Cheltenham took advantage. After the Panthers brought home a run to make it 2-1, Cardinals catcher Morey Hershgordon overthrew first base, sending the ball rolling down the line. Cheltenham plated two runs from the error making it 4-1 for the visitors.

While it was a costly error, it was the only blemish on an otherwise strong day from Hershgordon. Hershgordon displayed great composure when things started to unravel, going out to the mound multiple times to talk to Carber. 

What they talked about worked, as it was smooth sailing from there for Carber. The pitcher would allow only two hits in the next three innings.

Carber's pitching kept the Cardinals in the game, but the bats were lethargic to start. Perhaps trying to wake them up, Upper Dublin's Coach Wall sprinted down the third base line in the bottom of the third to argue with the umpire over a called strike due to a Cardinal batter stepping out of the box. The altercation ended with Wall being thrown out from the game.

"We needed a spark," said Wall after the game. 

It would be the spark the team needed from their coach, as the Cardinal and Gray offense stepped up and won it in the third. Trailing by four, the Cardinals rally began with two straight singles. After Packard Levin drew a walk to load the bases, Upper Dublin continued to show great discipline at the plate. Joe Crane brought home a run by drawing a walk, and Carber smacked an RBI single to bring the Cardinals within 1, 5-4. Zarwin tied the game by walking in another run.

When the inning was finally over, the Cardinals had sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five runs to take a 6-5 lead. 

With Carber cruising, Upper Dublin put the game out of reach for Cheltenham in the bottom of the fifth. Ethan Gregg knocked in his first run of the day to complete a two-run inning for the Cardinals, giving them an 8-5 lead.

Zach Walsh stepped in and slammed the door on the Panthers in the top of the sixth. Walsh allowed no hits in 1 1/3 innings of work to secure the Cardinals' first win of the season. 

After the game, Coach Wall talked about using this win—and some time off—as a spring board for the rest of the season.

"It's spring break for the students, and this is a good opportunity for us to get out of the routine we've been in and start fresh," said Wall. "And a big win against a good team is always a bonus." 

Upper Dublin showed on Monday that they have all the parts to be a winning team—a dominant starter, strong relief pitching, and discipline at the plate. Whether or not they can produce those on a consistent basis will go a long way in deciding the outcome of this season. 

While the students are off of school, there will be no rest for the team this week. The Cardinals will take the field the next two days, looking to build upon the success they had on Monday. 

First pitch for Tuesday's game against Norristown is set for 1 p.m.