The top-seeded Cardinals (14-3) withstood an early surge from the fourth-seeded Astros (6-11), overcoming a 3-0 deficit to post a 10-6 win in Little League playoff action Wednesday afternoon at McGinn Park.
In the first inning, the Astros managed to score without registering a hit. Cardinals starting pitcher Drew Brady walked four batters, hit two and threw a wild pitch in the inning. Brady eventually struck out the side, but not before the Astros had scored three runs.
The Cardinals showed grit and took the lead in the bottom half of the inning. Their offense exploded for six runs, as they took as 6-3 lead after an inning of play. Dylan Thomas, Ian Wyllie, Ryan DiGuilio and David Zola each drove in one run on base hits in the frame.
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DiGuilio took the mound in the second inning and was sharp from the get-go, retiring the side in order with two strikeouts. He pitched four-and-two-thirds innings, allowed three runs and notched five K's on the afternoon.
"Ryan has pitched well for us all year and throws strikes," Cardinals head coach, Jim Brady said.
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His son, Drew, drove in the Cardinals' seventh run of the game in the bottom of the second. On a double steal, Andrew Bauer scored, upping the lead to 8-3. The Cardinals were aggressive on the base paths all day.
"In little league the biggest key is not giving runs away and taking runs when they give them to you, and we are usually good at that," Brady added. He was alluding to the fact that when you have runners at first and third and less than two outs, a double steal almost guarantees a run.
The Cardinals scored their final two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Jack Murphy's infield single brought in the ninth run and Brady picked up his third RBI on a bloop single to right field.
The Astros refused to go away without a fight, and scored two runs in the fifth to make it interesting. Brian Cox did not have his best day on the mound for the Astros, but picked up an RBI during the two-run inning. After five innings of play, St. Louis led 10-6.
The Astros kept the pressure on in their final at bat. Andrew DiBiase's single cut their deficit to 10-7. Dylan Thomas recorded the final out for the Cardinals, with a strikeout. The Astros are alive in the post-season and will face off against the loser of the Marlins and Orioles game, the No. 2 vs. No. 3 matchup. The Cardinals will play the winner of that game on Friday night.
"The kids played hard and we try to win one inning at a time," Brady added.
