CARDINALS WIN ALL AT SALAS PARK

The Cardinals could not be stopped on Tuesday at Salas Park.

With a pair of youth championships on the line — 10U softball and minors farm baseball — the Cardinals came through in both. The Cardinals defeated the Braves 6-5 in extra innings on the baseball diamond, while next door on the softball field, the Cardinals took down the Bruins 10-4.

The baseball Cardinals needed two comebacks to win after the Braves took an early lead. The Braves tied the game in the bottom of the sixth to send it to an extra inning, and when the Braves scored one to go up again, the Cardinal responded with a Vinny Casazza two-run single that scored Landon Flemmer and Gianni Sterni.

“It was a very exciting game,” said Steve Brown, a Cardinals assistant coach.

Noah Hufford had a triple for the Cardinals, and Juan Ulloa had a double. On the mound, Tanner Grove pitched three innings before Landon Beasley came on in relief.

The Braves went up 2-0 in the first inning on a rally started by Andrew Fichtner, who connected on a

chin-high pitch moments after his coaches told him to lay off the high ones, and launched a high fly ball over the center fielder’s head. Fichtner finished with two doubles, the other coming in the sixth inning. Juan Diaz added a triple, while Nick Penny had a double and two singles.

Eric Munoz pitched three innings for the Braves, with Fichtner entering in relief.

The softball Cardinals used a pair of pitchers to keep the Bruins’ lineup at bay, starting with four innings from Eliza Litton. Hailey McCormick finished the last two, and the two pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts.

“They pitched very well,” Cardinals manager Paul Fuentes said. “We did have some plays, groundball outs, but for the most part our pitching kept them off balance.

“The kids were very excited. For a lot of them, this is the first trophy they’ve earned in sports.”

Bruins pitcher Janie Schallberger had a good game herself, with seven strikeouts, one of which she used to pitch out of a bases-loaded jam in one of the middle innings.

“The Bruins are a tough team,” Fuentes said. “They’re very well coached, and they always play us tough, and this was no exception.”

DAVID WITTE/NEWS-SENTINEL Cardinals pitcher Eliza Litton follows through on a pitch during the 10U softball championship game on Tuesday at Salas Park.

DAVID WITTE/NEWS-SENTINEL Braves shortstop Rylan Takahashi applies the tag too late to put out the Cardinals' Charlie Casazza on a stolen base during the Cal Ripken Farm championship game on Tuesday at Salas Park.