Mathewson McCarthy
Cardinals capture 'AA' championship

The Cardinals defeated the Red Sox 8-3 to win the Mathewson McCarthy "AA" title. Members of the team, pictured from left, are: first row - Carm Tronolone, Mike Woods, Cam Carney, Eric Weisansal, Trevor Conschafter, and Matthew Genau; second row - Joey Genau, Ryan Conschafter, John Genau, Tim Zatkos, and Gabriel Brokaw; third row - coaches Lynda Eggleston, Steve Carney, Tony Woods and Joe Genau; missing from photo - Robbie Schapp.

After compiling a 14-2 regular season record, the Cardinals won two critical postseason games to secure Mathewson McCarthy's "AA" championship.

Finals - Cardinals 8, Red Sox 3

Both teams had played earlier in the day, with the Cardinals coming off a physically and mentally taxing roller coaster win against the Braves. The Cardinals were missing Robbie Schapp, a solid contributor to the Cardinal offense and defense during the regular season.

The visiting Cardinals got their second wind, jumping out to a lead in the top of the third inning. Singles by Eric Weisansal, Trevor Conschafter and Gabriel Brokaw set the table for RBI hits by Cameron Carney and John Genau, along with a two-run double by Ryan Conschafter.

The Red Sox began to chip away at the 4-0 deficit with a run of their own on timely hits by Mark Venditti and Alex Streng. Solid defense from Red Sox players Jacob Chella and Matt Chrzanowski helped keep the game close through four innings, 5-2.

A key fielding play by Carm Tronolone helped solidify the Cardinals defense in the bottom half of the inning. The Cardinals added some insurance runs in the top of the fifth on a pair of RBI doubles by John Genau and Tim Zatkos.

Matt Genau capped things off with an RBI single that pushed the Cardinals ahead of the Red Sox, 8-2, in the middle of the fifth. The Red Sox managed to add another run in the fifth as Streng scored off Chella's hard-hit double. Even with the Red Sox potent hitting threat, the reliable infield duo of John Genau and Mike Woods helped keep the Red Sox offense at bay and thwarted any further scoring chances. The Cardinals shut down the Red Sox in the bottom of the six.

The championship win capped off a series of successful seasons for the Cardinals, who were 32-2 over the last two years.

Semifinal- Cardinals 10, Braves 9

The road to victory was not an easy one for the Cardinals. The Braves came ready to play and were one of only two teams that handed the Cardinals a loss during the regular season.

Cardinals Cam Carney and Joey Genau provided the opening spark with matching singles and eventually scored on RBI shots coming off the bats of Ryan Conschafter and Tim Zatkos.

The Cardinals' early offense was matched by the Braves in the top half of the next inning. Jacob Evans came off the injured reserve list just in time to get the offense going for the Braves with a leadoff single. Jack Rubin and Tyler Buell added RBI singles of their own, knotting the score at 2-2.

The scoring was tight for the next two innings, with the teams exchanging runs in the fourth for a 3-3 tie.

In the fifth, the Braves posted one more run than the Cardinals could muster and tacked on two more in the top of the sixth to pull ahead, 7-4, going into the bottom of the sixth.

Down by three runs, Tim Zatkos, Matt Genau and Eric Weisansal set the stage for a Cardinal comeback with three consecutive singles, the last hit by Weisansal providing the team's first run of the sixth. Carm Tronolone's sacrifice added another important run for the Cardinals.

Trevor Conschafter kept the pressure on the Braves by cranking out another single. Gabriel Brokaw's well-placed hit to the left side of the infield provided the third and game-tying run that gave the Cardinals the chance to push the game into extra innings.

With the Cardinals' comeback and the score tied, the Braves were not about to fold. A pair of doubles by Tommy Shantler and Brian Morreale opened up the scoring for the Braves in the extra inning. The Braves tacked on another run with an RBI hit by Alexis Bartlo. Classic Cardinals defense, including stellar play by Joey Genau, prevented any further scoring by the Braves in the top half of the inning.

The Cardinals entered the bottom of the seventh down two runs, 9-7. John Genau started off the Cardinal response with a one-out double. Ryan Conschafter added a RBI double of his own, allowing Genau to score. Mike Woods continued a solid hitting effort, legging out another single. He finished 4 for 4. Matt Genau then delivered one more hit that provided the Cardinals with a second game-tying hit in as many innings.

With the bases loaded, Weisansal found himself with two strikes against him and the game on the line. After a brief conference with his coach, Weisansal stepped back in the box and ripped a game-winning RBI shot that hugged first base line, allowing Woods to score.