ICYMI: Heisler Cardinals are your three-peat BRBL Champs!
With just nine players in the final, the Heisler Cardinals defended their hold on the Battle River Baseball League championship, defeating the Rosalind A’s 4-1 for the title on Thursday at home.
Game two was played in Rosalind on Tuesday, July 29, with the Cardinals looking to clinch their third straight BRBL title and the A’s looking to force a game three and keep their playoff hopes alive.
A capacity crowd lined the perimeter of the diamond and Mother Nature supplied perfect baseball weather. The teams put on an equally great display. Ryan Yuha took to the hill, looking to extend the series for the A’s, and win the pitching duel versus his cousin, Cory Martz of Heisler.
Yuha was up to the challenge, he battled in a complete game victory. Most importantly, Yuha worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the second inning, and left runners at second and third in the third.
Rosalind took the lead in the bottom of the second inning, after three straight singles.
Heisler tied it up in the top of the third after Devan Herder took a free base, followed by a pair of hits by Todd Steil and Cody Wolbeck to score Herder.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the A’s started with a hard hit double to the left center gap, followed by a pair of RBI singles by Brayden Benson and Nic Ronsko, jumping out in front 4-1.
The Cardinals added a run in the fifth to cut the lead to 4-2, but the Athletics added a run in the bottom of five to make it 5-2.
The fans were treated to a rare display of poor defense in the top of the seventh inning, as Heisler lead off hitter Alex Badry hit a routine single.
The A’s proceeded to throw the ball away at second, and third, while leaving home plate defenseless as Badry scored a highlight run.
In the words of the A’s back catcher Sheldon Pedersen, “It’s a good thing the TSN crew wasn’t in the park to catch the Worst Play of the Day.”
The A’s forced game three with a 5-3 final.
The final game of the series went Thursday, July 31 in Heisler.
Dan Enright was sent to the mound for Rosalind.
The A’s had almost their full squad dressed for the game.
Heisler sent lefty Nolan Miller, who picked up the win in game one, back to the mound.
The Cardinals had a bare-bones squad with only nine players able to play, with many missing due to work commitments.
Adam Enright got the A’s started in the first inning when he doubled to the left center gap, and Ryan Yuha drove him in with an RBI single.
Miller proceeded to go through the Rosalind order at will, keeping the A’s hitters completely off balance and inducing countless ground-balls. The A’s Pederson said, ”Hat tip to Nolan, that was an impressive pitching performance.”
Dan Enright pitched out of a bases- loaded jam in the second inning to keep Rosalind out in front 1-0.
Matt Enright came on to close out the bottom of the sixth, giving the A’s the chance to rally in the top of the seventh.
Blaine Wolbeck, Cody Wolbeck, and Nolan Miller were able to get the extra base RBI hits that proved to be the difference in the game.
Heisler scored a pair in both the third and fifth innings for a 4-1 win and the BRBL title for the third consecutive year.
The Heisler squad was Alex Badry, Blaine Wolbeck, Cory Martz, Nolan Miller, Cody Wolbeck, Scott Heisler, Dave Wolbeck, Jason Albers, and Lorne Schulte.
Missing from the line up that evening were Todd Steil, Trent Steil, Kris Wolbeck, Dave Curtis, Devan Herder, Alex Roth, Ty Dietrich, Gus Dietrich, Dave Heisler, and Braden Erickson.
Jae Robbins
Staff Reporter
