Friday night brought two games to Nutile C as the second half of the regular season kicked off.  Each team has already played the other seven once so this marks the first of the re-matches that make up the league’s second half of the regular season.  The Padres visited the Diamondbacks in the early game and the White Sox battled the Cardinals under the lights on Nutile C.

Before we recap the Friday games, below is a late arriving recap of Thursday nights action between the Cardinals and the Dodgers.

 

Cardinals at Dodgers – Thursday May 12:

The visiting Cardinals got off to a quick start Thursday putting their first four batters on base, with the speedy leadoff hitter Will Ferrari scoring, before the Dodgers’ Rami Flummerfelt retired the following three batters to end the threat.

The hosts erupted for eight runs in the home half of the first, initiated by Darin Shaw’s leadoff double and highlighted by JP Hood’s laced triple to left field, plating Colby Spence and Kaden Flummerfelt. Louis Garciano brought Hood home with an infield single and Thomas Lentine hustled home on a wild pitch to complete the scoring for the inning.

Henry Cunnane settled down in the ensuing innings to quiet the Dodgers bats, matched by the Dodgers’ Rami who struck out his last two batters to end the fourth inning. Moby Myers took the reins for the Redbirds and did well to slow the Dodgers offense, while also helping his own cause with a hit to help produce a couple of runs in the fifth inning, also highlighted by an Eli Krogmeir RBI single. Charlie Ihrig closed the game on the bump for the hosts while Max Rchardson was exemplary behind the dish for the Cards, making numerous plays to contain the Dodgers.

Final score: Dodgers 9, Cards 4.

 

Padres at Diamondbacks – Friday May 13:

Leo LaMont had the hot hand on Friday, tallying four hits and leading the Padres to a 18-4 victory over the Diamondbacks

The Padres got their offense started in the first inning when LaMont doubled on a 2-1 count, scoring James Marshall. The Padres added to their lead with clutch hits buy Brendan Kutylo, Jack Lennon, Paulo Caggioni and Michael McCarthy to jump out to a 4-0 lead.

The Padres kept the Diamondbacks quiet behind strong pitching from starter Jack Lennon who pitched two scoreless innings and striking out 5. They put up another six runs in the second inning, led by Kutylo, Caggioni, McCarthy, Ben Saurman, and Luke Seitz, all sending runners across the plate with RBIs in the inning.

The D’Backs would answer in the 3rd with a couple runs of their own on a leadoff single by Qole Simpson and a double by Cole Cassidy.

The Padres weren’t done, however, and added a few more runs in the 5th on a triple by Ben Sauerman.  That was all the Padres’ bullpen would need, with solid performances from relievers Kutylo, LaMont, Marshall and McCarthy, who combined for 6 strikeouts and only 4 walks.

The Padres walked away with the victory to pull the team back to .500 at 4 and 4.

 

Cardinals at White Sox – Friday May 13:

White Sox starter Evan Wilson got some help from a sweet double play in the top of the first.  Catcher Ben Ragosa snagged a Moby Myers bunt in the air and fired to first to double off leadoff man Will Ferrari who reached on an error.  In the last of the first, the White Sox got two runs as Ragosa doubled in William Fiorentino and later scored on a past ball after an Adrian Lupien single.

The White Sox would score another 4 tuns in the second inning. Dylan Murtie stated it off with a crisp single to left field. Dylan Sala singled before two batters were retired.  With two outs, Ragosa singled to center field and Lupien doubled to left center.  All 4 would score giving the White Sox a 6-0 lead after two innings.

The Cardinals would not go away, however, as Nolan Byrne (brother of White Sox Billy Byrne) tripled to right field and came in to score on a Ferrari single.  After a Myers single, Wilson was able to escape with only one run scored.

After a scoreless 4th, Nolan Byrne would again ignite a Cardinals rally in the 5th with a leadoff double.  Ferrari walked and Eli Krogmeier doubled to center field to plate Byrne.  Max Richardson singled to score Ferrari and bring the score to 6-3 before Wilson escaped further damage.

In the 6th, Wilson got the first batter before giving way to Sala for the final two outs to secure a 6-3 White Sox victory.

For the Cardinals, Teddy Angell started with Owen Richardson and Max Richardson working efficiently in relief as the White Sox would not score after the second inning.

Wilson would pitch 5 1/3 for the White Sox, striking out 6 in the win before Sala’s save.