Taco Verroco Archives - Your Sports Network

HOWLAND, OH- Cardinal Mooney needed a full team effort Thursday night, and that’s exactly what they got, leaning on a perfect night at the plate from Kaden Reese to beat Howland 10-7 in a wild one.

Reese wasted no time getting things rolling, ripping a single into the outfield in the top of the first to drive in the game’s first run. Mooney looked sharp early, but Howland answered right back, cashing in a passed ball in the bottom of the second to knot it up.

In the third, Reese came through again — this time with a sac fly — pushing the Cardinals back on top. But the Tigers weren’t going away. Keaton Perry cracked a two-run double into the gap, and Aidan Anders followed with a groundout to plate another, giving Howland a 4-2 lead and all the momentum heading into the fourth.

Mooney, though, stayed calm. Will Petty blasted a double that brought in a run, and a wild pitch tied it back up, 4-4. The Cardinals then took control in the fifth, jumping ahead 6-4 thanks to a Howland throwing error that opened the floodgates.

Reese wasn’t done — he smashed a double in the fifth to keep the pressure on. Mooney stretched the lead even more in the sixth, taking advantage of more Howland mistakes and staying aggressive on the bases, swiping bags left and right. Verroco, Petty, and Reese all had multiple steals as Mooney piled up seven swipes on the night.

Ben Oddis gutted through six innings to grab the win. He gave up some traffic but made big pitches when it counted, fanning six along the way. Verroco came in to close the door and seal it up.

Offensively, Mooney banged out 10 hits and showed serious patience with seven walks. Along with Reese’s perfect 3-for-3 night, Petty and Ryan Reese chipped in multi-hit games, and Bushey lived at first base with four walks.

Defensively, Mooney flashed some leather, turning a clean double play at a crucial point to kill a Howland rally in the late innings.

Howland wasn’t short on offense either, racking up nine hits of their own. Bode Biggin led the Tigers at 3-for-4, while Perry and Anders both picked up a pair of RBI. Richie Ansel also had a two-hit day for Howland.

The win keeps Mooney trending in the right direction as they gear up for another test Friday against Neshannock.

YOUNGSTOWN, OH- Cardinal Mooney got the job done on Saturday with a 9-3 win over Triway, thanks in large part to a monster day from Kaden Reese at the plate. Reese finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs, launching a two-run homer in the fifth and adding RBI singles in the third and sixth innings.

Mooney got rolling early when Taco Verroco blasted a two-run shot to center in the top of the first to give the Cardinals a quick lead. They kept the pressure on in the third, plating two more on RBI knocks from Reese and Ben Oddis.

Reese’s two-run bomb in the fifth gave Mooney even more breathing room, and he capped his day with another RBI single in the sixth to help put the game out of reach.

On the mound, Oddis was dominant. He tossed five shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out four. Verroco came on in relief to finish things off.

Mooney racked up 11 hits in the win. Ford Stacy chipped in with a pair of hits, and the Cardinals ran wild on the bases with five steals — two coming from Reese. Defensively, Mooney was clean, turning a double play and not committing a single error. Aidan Radinsky led the way in the field with six chances.

Triway’s Grant Schag led their offense with two hits and two RBIs, while Alex Shearer swiped a pair of bags.