Fort Worth Christian Dominates Lions in Crucial District Series

Fort Worth Christian traveled to Lubbock this week to face the Trinity Christian Lions, who were atop the district standings. The series was pivotal for playoff seeding and could determine the district's top spot. Cardinals ace Gregory Smeds, who entered the game 5-0 on the season, took the mound for Fort Worth Christian.

Batting first as the visiting team, the Cardinals quickly took control. Griffin Carney opened with a single up the middle. On a 1-2 count, Grady Emerson lined a ball down the right field line, hustling for an RBI triple. Two batters later, with two runners on, Andrew Ridgell singled up the middle, scoring Emerson and giving the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. After another two batters, Jackson Perdue worked an RBI walk, followed by an RBI sacrifice fly from Jacob Ward, extending the Cardinals' early lead to 4-0.

Over the next three innings, the Cardinals managed to get a runner on base each inning but failed to score.

On the mound, Smeds was far from perfect, but he delivered crucial pitches when necessary. He allowed at least one runner on base each inning but consistently worked out of trouble. After issuing two of his three walks, he struck out the very next batter, demonstrating his ability to battle back and perform well despite not being flawless.

The Cardinals' offense reignited in the fifth inning. A walk by Casselberry and a double by Parkerson set up Andrew Ridgell, who once again singled through the left side, scoring a runner and making it a 5-0 game. Two batters later, freshman Jacob Ward connected with a pitch left over the plate, sending it over the left field wall for a three-run home run, pushing the lead to 8-0. Following a single by Hank Austin, Grady Emerson crushed a 1-1 pitch over the right field fence for his seventh home run of the year and his third consecutive game one, giving the Cardinals a commanding 10-0 advantage and potentially setting them up for a third straight mercy-rule victory.

Smeds allowed only a two-out single in the fifth but nothing more, as he shut down the Lions to secure a mercy-rule victory for the Cardinals after five innings. The win sets up a tiebreaker game for first place between the two teams on Wednesday.

Smeds improved to 6-0 on the season in eight starts, maintaining a 1.51 ERA. He completed his outing with just 70 pitches, 40 of which were strikes.

Wednesday 

Cale Brateris started on the mound for the Cardinals, who aimed to secure a series sweep and move into first place in their district.

The offense picked up where it left off. The Lions intentionally walked Grady Emerson, who then stole second base. Braylen James lined a single into center field, setting an early tone. The Cardinals capitalized on defensive miscues from the Lions to take a 3-0 lead after a Jake Parkerson single. A subsequent single and two consecutive walks allowed Parkerson to score the fourth run. Griffin Carney capped the inning with a two-run double to left, giving the Cardinals a 6-0 advantage.

In the second inning, with two runners on, the Cardinals executed a double steal. A wild throw to center and an errant throw into the dugout allowed two more runs to score, stretching the lead to 8-0. With the bases loaded, Griffin Carney singled to center, driving in another run for his third RBI of the afternoon. An error and a sacrifice fly added two more runs, pushing the score to 11-0. Two batters later, Jake Parkerson singled home two more runs, capping a seven-run second inning for Fort Worth Christian.

The Lions scored two runs in the bottom of the inning on three singles and an error. They added two more runs in the third inning on three hits and a sacrifice fly, temporarily staving off the mercy rule.

In the top of the fourth, the Cardinals collected a single and drew two two-out walks to load the bases. Andrew Ridgell was hit by a pitch, bringing home the Cardinals' 14th run.

Three consecutive two-out hits in the top of the fifth gave the Cardinals their final two runs of the afternoon, making the score 16-4.

Blayne MacDonald struck out two of five batters he faced, shutting down the Lions and sealing the convincing series sweep for the Cardinals.

Thoughts and Analysis

The Cardinals' offense has been firing on all cylinders in their last four games outscoring their opponents 60-10, easing pressure on the coaching and pitching staffs. In a two-game series, a quality at-bat percentage of 56.52 percent and a team batting average of .423 with runners in scoring position usually leads to significant wins. Another key factor was the Cardinals' line drive percentage of 36.36 percent, which matched their fly ball percentage and was nine points higher than their 27.27 percent ground ball rate. Even in previous wins, the Cardinals' line drive percentage typically hovers around 27 percent. The Cardinals' bats showed no signs of fatigue from the trip, posting some of their best numbers all season. This level of effort and performance is crucial for their push toward a state championship, and while it won't always happen, this series exemplifies the lineup's potent capabilities.

Greg Smeds continued to lead the rotation, earning his sixth win of the season. It was a hard-fought win for Smeds, who navigated through traffic for a significant portion of his outing. The young left-hander continues to impress, demonstrating his ability to compete and win tough situations even with a large lead, which opportunities doesn‘t come around to often. Having those battles even when your offense is pouring it on can be vital to a pitchers progression over the year and can allow them to figure out a lot about themselves and their craft boosting confidence throughout each start.

The Cardinals will face All Saints next week in district play, aiming to maintain their momentum and reach peak form for the playoffs, which are fast approaching.

photo via Tyler Rix FWC Baseball