The Cardinal baseball team is coming together. Going into the past week Staples Motley was 2 - 3 , but improved their rec o rd by winning all three games played.

The Cards faced the Crosby- Ironton Rangers at Crosby on Tuesday, April 21. Jordan Riewer owned the mound for the first game, pitching an outstanding game, striking out 12 batters and walking none.

Senior Trevor Ness was back behind the plate after

being gone for the first five

games of the season, which "gave us a lot of confidence,"

said Coach John Riewer.

Offensively the Cardinal bats came alive, and they scored 11 runs on 11 hits. Alex Jansson had a great game at the plate, hitting 3 for 4 and scoring twice. Also doing well at the plate were Trevor Smith and Jordan Riewer (both 2 for 4) and Sam Duberowski (2 for 3). Gunner Johnson hit a homer in the top of the fourth to drive in two of SM's 11 runs. The first game of the double header ended after five innings with the Cards ahead 11-1.

The second game was much like the first with some very alive bats for the Cardinals. Jansson had another great offensive game, hitting a triple, a double and two singles in his five at-bats. Ness had two hits, both doubles, and Anthony Jenkins went 2 for 3 with a double.

On the mound was senior Devin Becker, with Tyler Jenniges and Dylan Shequen each pitching an inning of relief. Staples Motley finished this game with 20 runs to C-I's five.

"Our bats came alive, which was fun to see, we started getting extra base hits and everyone of the team contributed in some way" said Riewer. Sweeping the Rangers gave the Cards a 3-1 record in the MidState Conference.

On Friday they were scheduled to play a double header against the Browerville Broncos, but due to bad weather the coaches agreed to reschedule the second game for May 14. Despite the cold rain and wind the Cards outscored the Broncos 2-1. "This game was a great pitchers' duel by both Gunner Johnson and Dillon Lundin from Browerville. I was very impressed considering the conditions they were pitching in; it was a very well played high school game."

Gunner Johnson pitched all seven innings, winning the pitching battle with 14 strikeouts and just one base on balls. Dillon Lundin was on the mound for Browerville and he struck out 10 Cardinals and walked four.

At the plate four Cardinals (Jansson, Ness, Johnson and Smith) all got hits.

Some performances Coach Riewer highlighted after the second week of the season, "Jansson finished this week going 9-12, raising his average to a team leading .444. Riewer's hitting streak came to an end at seven straight games, his average is currently .392. Johnson has 25 strikeouts in his last two appearances on the mound, and hit a team leading home run at C-I."

Staples Motley is now 5-3 with five games to play this week: A double header against DL on Tuesday, here in Staples, on Friday they will play in Park Rapids, and on Monday in Bertha Hewitt.