Record Crowd sees Mascot Party and Cardinals win
After a heatwave all week, it was the perfect night for a party. The Cardinals had a record crowd of 1,372 on hand for Bernie R. Bird's mascot party.
The Red Sox got off to a decent start, scoring a run in the first inning, but they couldn't maintain their momentum. The Cardinals responded with a big four-run second inning, followed by three more runs in the fourth and one in the sixth. The Red Sox managed to score two runs in the sixth inning but failed to mount a comeback.
Jordan Schulefand of the Hamilton Cardinals delivered an outstanding performance on the mound, pitching 7 innings and allowing only 3 runs, 1 earned run, and 8 hits. He struck out 7 batters and walked only 1. Schulefand earned the win and maintained an impressive ERA of 1.29.
On the other side, Garcia started the game for the Brantford Red Sox but struggled, lasting only 4 innings. He surrendered 7 runs, 3 earned runs, and 6 hits. Garcia struck out 4 batters but issued 3 walks. He was credited with the loss, and his ERA stood at 14.25.
Offensively, the Red Sox collected a total of 10 hits, but they struggled to convert them into runs. Catcher Kuzemka had a solid game, going 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Bowles also contributed, going 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Newcomer Brandon Nicholson started the game at shortstop and led off in the batting order. Nicholson debuted with a stolen base, a single and an RBI. Tyler Duncan was 2 for 4 with 1 RBI while Clayton Keyes went 1 for 4 with 2 RBIs. Almost every Cardinal recorded a hit with the exception of Luis Bernardo, whose hit streak finally came to an end.
The next Cardinals home game will be on Sunday July 16th at 2:00pm.