Fort Worth Christian Offense Powers to Another Perfect Weekend
The Cardinals go 4-0 on the weekend outscoring opponents 57-17
Fort Worth Christian entered with a four-game winning streak and aimed to continue its momentum during another four-game tournament.
Thursday
Game One.
The Cardinals faced the Denison Yellow Jackets in their first game of a doubleheader Thursday. Gregory Smeds would take the mound for them marking his first outing in two weeks.
The offense started quickly, with the first three hitters reaching base via a leadoff single by Carney and two walks. After a popout and strikeout, Blayne MacDonald cleared the bases with a double deep into left-center field, giving the Cardinals an early 3-0 lead.
Fort Worth Christian added to its lead in the second inning after a leadoff triple and a walk put runners on the corners with no outs.
Andrew Ridgell scored on a fielder's choice, taking advantage of Jacob Ward getting caught in a rundown. Carney singled and stole second, but the stolen base proved unnecessary as Emerson lined a ball just beyond the reach of the shortstop that went the wall, allowing him to stretch it into a triple for an early 5-0 lead.
Denison scored a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly, but Fort Worth Christian answered in the bottom of the inning. A leadoff single set up Griftin Carney, who tripled on the second pitch, driving in the runner from first base. Emerson singled home Carney to add another run. Jake Parkerson and Blayne MacDonald each hit RBI singles, extending Fort Worth Christian's lead to 9-1.
The Yellow Jackets chipped away at the lead in the top of the fifth inning, drawing five walks and combining with a few singles to make it a 9-5 game.
Andrew Ridgell led off the bottom of the fifth with his second extra-base hit of the game, and Jacob Ward followed suit, scoring the Cardinals' 10th run. Griffin Carney was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat, setting up Grady Emerson. Emerson worked a 3-1 count before launching a fastball over the right-field wall for his first home run of the season, giving Fort Worth Christian a commanding 13-5 lead. The game clock expired three batters later, solidifying the Cardinals' fifth consecutive win.
Game Two.
Fort Worth Christian faced the Heritage Coyotes in the second game of the day with David Salas taking the mound for the Cardinals.
The Cardinals scored the first run after two of their first three batters reached base. Jake Parkerson then hit a deep fly to center, scoring Carney for an early 1-0 lead.
Fort Worth Christian broke the game open in the second inning. Three of the first four batters reached, setting up Griffin Carney with the bases loaded. Carney hit a deep single to left, driving in two runs. Emerson walked, and two batters later, Parkerson hit a line drive down the left field line, clearing the bases for a 6-0 Cardinals lead. Hank Austin then walked, giving Blayne MacDonald another scoring opportunity. MacDonald capitalized, smacking a double to center that brought home both runners, extending the lead to 8-0. The Cardinals scored seven runs in the second inning.
David Salas delivered another strong start, following a commanding outing last weekend where he threw five scoreless innings. On the mound today, he pitched four scoreless innings, striking out five and not allowing a single hit. Salas continues to be an electric arm the Cardinals hope to rely on repeatedly throughout the season.
Things got interesting in the fifth inning after Salas exited. The Coyotes drew three straight walks, followed by a few hits and a sacrifice fly, plating three runs in the inning. However, that was all they would score.
Blayne MacDonald recorded his seventh RBI of the day on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and his eighth on a bases-loaded walk in the sixth. These runs pushed Fort Worth Christian's total to nine and 10, respectively, solidifying a 10-3 lead that secured the Cardinals' sixth straight victory.
Add as a source
Friday
On Friday afternoon, the Cardinals saw Jacob Pegg start on the mound against the Centennial Titans.
After a quick three-up, three-down inning, the Cardinals' offense again struck first. Carney singled but was called out attempting to steal third, much to the dismay of spectators. That didn't derail the Cardinals, however. Emerson then singled, advancing to third on a second baseman's error in the next at-bat. Two batters later, Emerson scored the game's first run on a wild pitch, giving the Cardinals an early lead.
Jacob Pegg found himself in a tough situation with a 3-1 count, bases loaded and two outs. However, he pushed through, striking out the next two batters to escape the jam unscathed and maintain momentum for the Cardinals.
The Cardinals rode that momentum into the top of the second. Andrew Ridgell smacked a one-out double to right and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Ridgell scored on a sacrifice fly, extending Fort Worth Christian's lead to 2-0. Despite two outs, the top of the order came alive. Carney and Emerson both singled and advanced an extra base on an erratic throw, putting them in scoring position. Braylen James capitalized with a liner to right field, making it a 4-0 Cardinals lead. They tacked on one more run when Jake Parkerson singled home James, who had stolen second base earlier in the at-bat.
The Titans scored their only run of the game after a leadoff double and a subsequent wild pitch two batters later.
Fort Worth Christian scored twice more: once in the bottom of the third on a wild throw to second by the catcher, and then a seventh and final run in the bottom of the fifth on an Emerson single.
Antonio Andujar and Andrew Ridgell came on for the final three innings, retiring nine of the 10 batters they faced and striking out four collectively. The lockdown bullpen sealed the game, giving the Cardinals another victory and extending their win streak to seven.
Saturday
Cale Brateris pitched for the Cardinals against the Anna Coyotes in the final game of the weekend.
For the fifth consecutive game, the Cardinals scored in the first inning. They loaded the bases with the first three batters. Jake Parkerson drove home the first run with a bloop single to right field. Two more runs scored in the next at-bat when Blayne MacDonald grounded out to shortstop. Though the force out was made at second base, the second baseman's errant throw to first allowed another run to score, extending the lead to 3-0. The Cardinals added a fourth run in the second inning when Carney singled, stole second, and was driven home by Emerson's double to center field.
Brateris allowed just three baserunners and struck out three in three innings. This marked the fifth consecutive start for Fort Worth Christian in which their pitcher allowed two or fewer runs, a key factor in their early-season success.
Anna scored two runs off the Cardinals' bullpen in back-to-back innings, cutting the lead to 4-2 entering the bottom of the fifth.
Fort Worth Christian added two more runs on another errant throw by the second baseman, pushing the score to 6-2. That was the final score, as the game was called due to time expiring after Blayne MacDonald pitched a clean inning.
Summary and Analysis
Fort Worth Christian now owns an eight-game win streak, outscoring opponents 57-17 during that span. Their starting pitching and potent offense have been dominant early in the season. Grady Emerson has led the charge, hitting .667 with a .759 on-base percentage during those games. Emerson and Carney form a formidable duo at the top of the lineup, not only getting on base but collectively stealing 24 bases. With Braylen James hitting right behind them and swiping 12 bags, the Cardinals' first three batters have a combined 36 stolen bases, creating havoc for opposing teams on the base paths.
David Salas is another standout; the young right-hander has excelled, taking the forefront of the rotation. He has tossed 11 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run and holds opponents to a .028 batting average. When he's on the mound, he controls the tempo of the game and is crucial to this 2026 team.
Through the first 11 games of the season, the team's close-knit nature and effective coaching are evident. A next-man-up mentality and exemplary communication on the field explain why the team operates with such high pace and prowess. With pitchers still finding their rhythm and players striving for mid-season form, the team's potential is limitless. They will undoubtedly be a team to watch as district play approaches, with all eyes on North Richland Hills as the Cardinals continue their season.
Image by Tyler Rix, FWC Baseball
Written by
