Multiple Late Inning Heroics vault Fort Worth Christian for a successful weekend.

This weekend rings in the start of the High School season as Fort Worth Christian were set to take on some top teams and players in the Matt Clark Classic set in Argyle, Texas hosted by Liberty Christian. 

Thursday 

The first game pitted the Fort Worth Christian (Cardinals) against Bishop Lynch on a brisk Thursday night. Both teams were strong on the mound for the first three innings, highlighted by Cardinals starter Gregory Smeds going three innings, allowing just one hit and two walks while striking out three batters. Smeds paved the way for the Cardinals to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the inning when Jaxon Casselberry beat out a potential inning-ending double play, allowing Grady Emerson, who had stolen third earlier in the at-bat, to score.

Due to tournament time rules, the fourth inning appeared to be the last as the teams approached the one-hour, 45-minute mark, after which a new inning could not be started.

Bishop, however, would not go down easily. Despite having a runner picked off after a leadoff single, they managed to get two runners on base. A nearly game-ending double play was beaten out, leading to back-to-back singles that gave Bishop a 2-1 lead and knocked Fred Hall out of the game after a brief relief appearance. Ben Rodriguez then halted any further damage by striking out the one batter he faced.

Hank Austin led off the bottom of the inning with a walk, followed by a Blayne MacDonald single that advanced Austin to third. MacDonald, however, was caught in a rundown and tagged out. The Cardinals caught a break when Bishop's left fielder misplayed a flyball, allowing Austin to score and putting the winning run on second. Back-to-back walks followed, setting up No. 1 high school prospect Grady Emerson to win the game. Emerson slammed a 1-1 pitch through the right side, ending the game and giving the Cardinals a 3-2 victory for their first win of the season.ht side, ending the game and giving the Cardinals a 3-2 victory, their first win of the season.

Friday 

On Friday, the Cardinals were set to face MISL Academy (Crusaders), who were fresh off back-to-back state titles in the TAIAO league. Unlike the previous night's matchup, offense was not a rarity.

Fort Worth Christian scored first after Griffin Carney singled and stole two bases. Emerson then walked and stole second. Carney scored thanks to a sailed throw from the catcher and a subpar throw home from the second baseman. Braylen James then doubled, scoring Emerson and giving the Cardinals a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning.

After a sailed pickoff attempt in the second inning allowed the Cardinals to extend their lead to 3-0, it was the Crusaders' turn to score in the third inning. They started with an error and a walk, putting two runners on with no outs. A four-pitch strikeout and a pop out to left field initially left the Cardinals optimistic about escaping the jam. However, the inning was far from over as five of the next six batters drew walks, combined with a pitcher's miscue, allowing six runs to score before the inning finally concluded.

Fort Worth cut the lead to one run with a Jaxon Casselberry double, followed by a third baseman's miscue on the next batter, bringing them back within two runs.

After a quick top of the fourth inning, with time expiring, this marked the Cardinals' last chance at a comeback win on back-to-back nights. Six pitches into the inning, the Cardinals had an opportunity developing: a single and a double put the tying run on second base with no outs, and the top of the batting order due up. Griffin Carney was hit by a pitch on the first offering of the next at-bat, loading the bases for Grady Emerson. Despite falling behind in a 1-2 count, Emerson worked the count back to draw a walk, scoring a run and putting the winning run on second base with no outs. Braylen James connected on the second pitch he saw, sending it to center field. The ball missed a home run by mere feet but was enough to sail over the outfielder's head for his second double of the day, giving the Cardinals a 7-6 victory.

Saturday : Game One

Fort Worth Christian, led by Grady Emerson, faced Liberty Christian (Warriors), featuring Drake Hawpe, in a marquee baseball matchup Saturday.

Both starting pitchers delivered excellent performances. Fort Worth Christian right-hander Andrew Ridgell pitched three innings, allowing one hit, two walks and no runs. For Liberty Christian, right-hander Ben Brown pitched four innings, giving up two hits and two walks while striking out four. Brown allowed an unearned run when his left fielder overthrew home plate after a single by Emerson, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.

The fourth inning proved to be the turning point when the Cardinals' bullpen struggled. Three of the first four batters walked to start the inning. A subsequent single scored the tying run, a wild pitch brought in the go-ahead run, and another single to right field drove in two more, giving the Warriors a 4-1 lead.

That 4-1 lead was all the Warriors needed. Their bullpen shut down the Cardinals over the final two innings, allowing only two walks and no runner to advance past first base, securing Fort Worth Christian's first loss of the 2026 season.

Game Two 

The Cardinals had to quickly reset for their next game against St. Michael's.

Fort Worth Christian's offense ignited in the second inning. After an initial fly out, Cardinals hitters hit three consecutive singles for a 1-0 lead. Harry Allsup then walked, loading the bases for Jacob Ward. Ward singled to center field, driving in two runs and extending the lead to three. Griffin Carney added another run with a ground ball, making it a 4-0 game.

A St. Michael's shortstop error led to Fort Worth Christian's fifth run in the next inning, which proved to be all the Cardinals needed.

The Cardinals' pitching staff had a tremendous bounce-back performance. The trio of Cale Brateris, Blayne MacDonald and Ben Rodriguez combined for five shutout innings, allowing just two hits. While they allowed five walks, their defense was flawless, committing no errors. This propelled them to a 5-0 victory, concluding the weekend tournament with a 3-1 record.

Weekend Takeaways 

Fort Worth Christian faced strong, well-rounded competition. A key storyline was how, despite a lineup stacked with talent, the bottom half of the Fort Worth Christian lineup collectively hit 70 points higher on the weekend, going 8 for 25 with nine walks. While this may not always be the case, it was a positive sign, indicating that when the top half of its lineup is not producing at its full potential, the bottom half can contribute offensively and still win games. 

The Cardinals' starting pitching was also a highlight of the weekend, pitching 10 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run. They were consistently backed by a high-IQ defense that made key plays and smart decisions in high-pressure situations throughout the tournament.

Fort Worth Christian is set to host a tournament Thursday through Saturday, where the team will look to carry this momentum into another successful weekend for the program.