Fort Worth Christian Goes .500 on the Weekend which Offers Opportunity to Learn, Grow Ahead of District Play

The Cardinals faced a long weekend with five games scheduled. They were set to play doubleheaders on consecutive days, followed by a single game on Saturday.

Thursday

Game 1 vs. Sherman

The first game of the series saw the Cardinals score in the first inning for the sixth consecutive game, looking to extend their winning streak to nine.

Griffin Carney got on base and advanced to second on an errant throw by the Sherman pitcher. Three batters later, Carney scored on a wild pitch after Grady Emerson's grounder moved him to third.

Sherman played small ball, scoring an equalizing run on a sacrifice bunt the following inning.

However, the Cardinals once again took the lead when Braylen James smoked a 2-1 pitch into right field. The outfielder misjudged the ball, allowing Jacob Ward and Grady Emerson to score, giving the Cardinals a 3-1 lead in the third inning.

Both pitchers silenced the opposing lineups until the Cardinals struck again in the sixth inning when Andrew Ridgell scored Jaxon Casselberry on a sacrifice fly, making it a 4-1 game.

Both teams added a run, making it a 5-2 game. The 5-2 score held as Antonio Andujar ensured Sherman got only one run off him, tossing a 1-2-3 seventh inning.

It was a phenomenal outing for Gregory Smeds, who pitched 5 innings of one-run baseball. He continues a great start to the season, boasting a 1.2 ERA through 11 2/3 innings. He remains the steadfast lefty the Cardinals can rely on heading into districts.

Game 2 : vs Tyler Legacy 

Coming off a nine-game winning streak, the Cardinals aimed to extend their run to 10 games in the second matchup.

Fort Worth Christian once again got off to a strong start, taking an early lead in the first inning after Legacy had scored a run. Jaxon Casselberry singled to center field with two runners on and one out, allowing Griffin Carney to score and tie the game. Two batters later, Hank Austin hit a double off the left field wall, driving in Casselberry and Emerson to give the Cardinals an early 3-1 lead.

After the first inning, the Cardinals' bats went quiet, producing only four baserunners over the next five innings.

David Salas provided a steady performance on the mound for the Cardinals, allowing two runs, one earned, over four innings to keep his team in contention.

However, Legacy capitalized on a muffed play in the top of the sixth, scoring four runs with two outs to take a 6-3 lead. That score would hold, handing the Cardinals their first loss since Feb. 7.

Friday 

Game one : vs Sachse Mustangs 

The Mustangs started strong, taking a 2-0 lead over the Cardinals in the first inning with a two-out, two-run double.

They added two more runs in the next inning off Jacob Pegg. An error allowed one run to score and a runner to advance to third. A wild pitch then brought in the fourth run, extending the Mustangs' lead to 4-0.

The Cardinals' offense remained stagnant, failing to record a hit through five innings against Mustangs RHP Moreno. They drew five walks and loaded the bases at one point but couldn't put a ball in play.

The Cardinals' offense finally ignited in the bottom of the sixth, but by then the Mustangs had built a 7-0 lead.

Jaxon Casselberry laced a ball down the left field line, hugging the chalk and staying fair for his first home run of the season.

In the bottom of the seventh, with two outs and two runners on, the Cardinals strung together three consecutive singles to cut the deficit to 8-5. However, it was too little, too late as that proved to be the final score, marking their first back-to-back losses of the season.

Game Two : vs Rock Hill 

The Cardinals once again found themselves trailing early after Rock Hill's leadoff hitter homered on the second pitch he saw, giving his team a 1-0 lead.

Jake Parkerson responded in the next inning, hitting his first home run of the year on the second pitch of his at-bat to left field, tying the game 1-1. The Cardinals then capitalized on two-out offense; Andrew Ridgell singled in Blayne MacDonald, giving Fort Worth Christian a 2-1 lead. Two batters later, a bases-loaded walk scored the third run for the Cardinals, extending their lead to 3-1.

Cale Brateris started on the mound for Fort Worth Christian, continuing his strong start to the season. Brateris pitched four innings, allowing two runs and keeping the Cardinals in the game.

As time expired, the bottom of the fifth inning was declared the final frame.

Rock Hill got its first two batters on base before a sacrifice bunt allowed the tying run to score. Two batters later, with the bases loaded and one out, MacDonald induced a fly ball to right field to Jaxon Casselberry. Casselberry threw home, and catcher Hank Austin scooped the ball and tagged the runner out at the plate, saving Fort Worth Christian from a third consecutive loss.

Saturday 

Vs Emerson 

Saturday marked the final game before district play, a pivotal one for Fort Worth Christian to regain momentum.

Both sides were scoreless in the first inning. The Cardinals broke through in the second when Blayne MacDonald hit a double to center, scoring two runs for an early 2-0 lead. Three batters later, with one out, Jacob Ward flied out to right field, allowing MacDonald to score from third. Grady Emerson then doubled to left-center with two runners on and two outs, driving in two more runs to make it 5-0. Braylen James capped off the six-run inning with a double down the line, scoring Emerson.

Emerson looked to rally in the bottom of the fifth, trailing 7-1. After getting the first two runners on, McLin hit a three-run homer, his second of the day, cutting Emerson's deficit to three runs. Five batters later, they singled home another run, bringing the score within two runs heading into the sixth inning.

The Cardinals regained momentum by scoring two runs in the sixth. Griffin Carney tripled, driving in one run, and then scored on a wild pitch five pitches later, providing much-needed insurance heading into the final inning.

Emerson managed to get one run back on an RBI grounder, but that was all they could muster. The Cardinals secured a 9-6 victory, finishing the five-game weekend with a 2-2-1 record.

Thoughts and Analysis

I know it's beyond cliche to say, "they can use this as motivation to get better," but let's be honest, it's a very true statement. There are only two ways to come out of a weekend like this: you either feel sorry for yourself or you develop an even greater urge to work on your craft and improve. It's truly how you separate yourself from being good or being great. Fort Worth Christian can learn a lot from this weekend. While they compiled a solid 12-3-1 record through the first month and looked very sound, minor cracks in the foundation were exposed. A weekend like this is the best way to identify those issues and address them directly and head-on.

Fort Worth Christian is slated to have one of the best front lineups in the state. Their front five are hitting a combined .374 with 51 RBIs, three home runs and 49 stolen bases. This is certainly impressive through 16 games, despite a rough weekend where they didn't play up to their full potential. Getting good pitches to hit hasn't been a struggle, as they walk more than they strike out. The key is making sure they punish the opposition when mistakes are thrown over the plate. This team truly can and will hit well in the coming months. This past weekend should motivate them to perform better and rely more on each other for a successful season. Sometimes, the lows are necessary to appreciate the highs, gain more focus and fully grasp their goals.

On the pitching side, the team's top three pitchers — Gregory Smeds, Cale Brateris and David Salas — were solid, allowing just a combined five earned runs across 39 1/3 innings pitched. The biggest challenge for this staff will be commanding the strike zone and avoiding trouble. While they have a very sound defense behind them, opposing teams won't always hit it directly to fielders. Pitchers need to be confident, hone their craft and go out there having fun. They've worked out of numerous jams, as evidenced by opponents leaving 91 runners on base. However, this isn't always the most efficient or best way to win games.

Aside from the talent on the field, the coaching in the dugout truly sets this team apart. With years of big-league experience on the field and an unparalleled understanding of baseball from extensive travel, this coaching staff boasts more expertise than most high school programs. These young men need to absorb everything these coaches preach to them, both on and off the field.

The Cardinals begin district play this week against Lake Country Christian before facing a three-game stretch over four days the following week.

Cover photo via Tyler Rix FWC Baseball