Tough Sunday for Cardinals at 18U OBAs

ST. THOMAS - Missed opportunities and errors hurt the St. Thomas Cardinals on the final day of the Ontario Baseball Association (OBA) 18U C championship.

Undefeated entering day four, at 4-0, the Cardinals lost a tough one, 6-4, to Mitchell Astros Sunday morning at Emslie Field. A 15-6 loss to Listowel followed, preventing the Cardinals from advancing to the final.

"Tough day at the office," Cardinals' manager Ryan Morrison said. "Through the first four games we showed what we really could do. Today we still played well, but came out short with a few mental mistakes offensively and defensively."

In game one Sunday, St. Thomas jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, but Mitchell responded with five runs in the third inning and one in the fourth.

Only three of Mitchell's six runs were earned.

The Cardinals had bases loaded twice and runners on second and third in another inning, but failed to score.

"That's baseball. All weekend we had been mashing everything to the fence and today, nothing. We couldn't get the clutch hit when we needed it. A lot of base runners, but couldn't cash," Morrison said. "First game, good start, then we ran our selves in to some questionable decisions that we made, that resulted in not scoring four or five runs."

Morrison batted two-for-three and drew a base on balls. Aiden Ward had a double and single. Wyatt Atchison and Tyler Serratore, both were one-for-two, had two walks and drove in one run.

"This game (versus Listowel), the biggest problen was the error board. Five errors and we walked a couple guys home and that was the game," said Morrison. "Towards the end, you could tell we were mentally tired."

Listowel scored three runs in the top of the first inning and led 9-5 after three innings. Listowel put the game out of reach with five runs in the top half of the seventh inning.

Ward went three-for-four, Morrison, two singles and a walk, Andrew Oates, a double and single and Aaron Dyke, two RBI.

St. Thomas finishes with a 4-2 record.

Mitchell met Listowel in the final.