Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to the Spruce Grove White Sox wasn’t the result the St. Albert Cardinals were hoping for even though they are starting to head in the right direction.
Coming off a 9-7 win against the Red Deer Braves on Sunday in St. Albert, the Cardinals carried that momentum into their home game against Spruce Grove.
“Today we put on a performance that, if not for a few mistakes, things could have been different but those are all in hindsight,” said head coach Chamara (CJ) Jayasekera.
The loss was the fourth in five games for the 2-10 Cardinals in the Norwest Midget AAA Baseball League.
“We like what we see at the moment,” said Jayasekera. “Getting guys back from injury definitely helps us too.”
A major factor that helped keep the Cardinals in the game Wednesday was the dynamic pitching of Noah Gapp. He went the distance in the seven-inning contest.
“I thought I played well and my team backed me up a bunch,” said Gapp. “We just need to cut down on our errors so we can be more successful.”
The performance by Gapp is starting to become a regular sight on the mound for the Cardinals.
“The past three out of four games our starters have gone five or more innings and we have been putting ourselves in good positions,” said Jayasekera. “Our guys are starting to throw strikes and when you do that, you will stay in the ball game.”
This weekend the Cardinals are in tournament action in Medicine Hat and have games scheduled against the Lethbridge Elks, Calgary Blues and Saskatoon Giants. After strong performances against Red Deer and Spruce Grove, Jayasekera is excited to see what his players will accomplish in their first tournament of the year.
“They are starting to feel it and they want more. They have seen success and they are starting to believe in each other and the guys behind them.”
The next league game is Tuesday in Sherwood Park against the Green at 7 p.m.
Wednesday the Cardinals host SEEBA 1 at 7 p.m.
