Young Cardinals getting their turns

MEDICAL LAKE - School was in for Medical Lake baseball over spring break, where the Cardinals were one of the few area teams that played during vacation.

The team went 2-1 in a pair of non-league contests at Holliday Field, losing to Spirit Lake's Timberlake, 5-3, on April 2, before sweeping a doubleheader against 2B Reardan, 17-12 and 15-4.

The games provided some of the younger players on the roster - of which there are many - added time to fine-tune their game, Coach Austin Sharp said. The Cardinals (4-1 Northeast A, 8-5 overall) have three freshman and three sophomores on the roster of which five start.

Included is sophomore A.J. Michaud, who pitched through five innings against Timberlake (5-4), surrendering five runs (two earned), striking out seven and walking just two. Michaud also had two of the three Medical Lake hits driving in a pair of runs.

Against Reardan, "We threw some young pitching out in game one and it turned into football score," Sharp said.

In a wild back-and-forth contest, the teams scored in every inning with Medical Lake, behind 7-5 before they scored five in both the fourth and fifth and two more in the sixth for a 17-9 lead.

Zach Boyd, a freshman, and sophomore Kyle Kipp split duty on the mound and struggled at times, but were backed up by Medical Lake bats that pounded out 14 hits.

That offensive punch included a home run by Andrew Roberts.

Taylor Oliver was 4-for-5 with a double and drove in four. Michaud was 3-for-5 and a pair of RBI. Boyd also had two hits and as many RBI.

Medical Lake's defense had just one error in the opener.

Things were easier in the second game, as the Cardinhals led, 8-0, following their first at-bat. The game lasted just five innings due to the 10-run rule.

Roberts hit his second home run of the day in a game where he went 2-for-2 with three RBIs. He was the only multi-hit player in the second game.

Boyd and Jordan Brickhouse also added extra-base hits stroking doubles.

Roberts was also starting pitcher and earned the win as he went four innings giving up just one earned run while striking out four.

Now attention turns back to the Northeast A League where there is a traffic jam at the top of the standings with Medical Lake and Lakeside tied with 4-1 records and Freeman a half game back at 3-1.

The Cardinals are on the road this week with games April 9 at Riverside (Chattaroy) and a crucial doubleheader April 13 at Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls).

"By the end of this weekend, there should be some separation in our league between one and two and three and four, "Sharp said. "Right now, we're all tucked in right there."