LITMAN’S PINCH HIT SEALS THE DEAL FOR THE CARDS
STRUTHERS, OH- The Cardinal Mooney Cardinals snatched a thriller from Howland, sealing the deal with a 7-6 walk-off win Wednesday night. As the tension peaked in the bottom of the seventh, Trent Litman delivered the knockout pinch-hit single on the first pitch he saw that drove in the winning run.
Howland struck first in the opening frame with Dominic Santee’s double bringing a runner home. But Mooney responded swiftly in the bottom half—Ben Oddis lashed a two-run double and Taco Verroco walked with the bases loaded, flipping the script to make it 3-1.
The game seesawed back to a tie in the fifth, thanks to Richie Ansel’s timely single for Howland. Not to be outdone, Mooney reclaimed the lead later that inning when Verroco singled home a run followed by a walk from Gabe Saunders that widened the gap to 6-3.
Pitching-wise, Vince Gentile clinched the win in a nail-biting final inning for Mooney, holding Howland to no hits and battling through two walks. Starter William Petty had a solid outing with five innings of three-run ball, striking out seven. Over in Howland’s camp, Steven Bubon bore the brunt, surrendering seven runs over nearly seven innings but striking out eight.
Ben Oddis was Mooney’s heavy hitter, driving in two runs and bagging a couple of hits. For Howland, Santee and Aidan Anders each notched two RBIs, with Luca Fronzaglio churning out a pair of hits.
The game was a battle of patience at the plate, with Howland drawing six walks, but in the end, Mooney’s clutch hitting made all the difference. Up next, Mooney hosts Kennedy on Thursday, hoping to carry the momentum forward.
