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The Columbus Cardinals varsity baseball team did not have many difficulties taking on their first-round postseason opponents. Facing off against the Randolph Ro-hawks for the Bi-District Championship, the Cards had some of their best offensive performances of the season as Randolph struggled to slow down the Cards’ impressive hitting. After two straight games of domination, the Cardinals claimed the Bi-District Championship round with an over 13-point average margin of victory in both games. With the series victory, the Cards move on to the Area Championship round where they will take on the Lytle Pirates in Wimberly on Thursday, May 11 at 6 pm.
Game 1, W, 13-2
The series between Columbus and Randolph stayed close for just one inning of baseball in the first game. Each team scored one run after their first trips to the plate and finished the opening inning of the postseason tied at one apiece. The Cards flipped a switch on both offense and defense as they started a huge run in the second and third innings to create some separation on the scoreboard. Columbus scored three runs in each of those innings while also holding Randolph scoreless as the Cards ran out to a 7-1 lead. After scoreless innings by both squads in the fourth inning, the Cards had a game-high six runs in the fifth to push the lead to double digits and force the mercy- rule finish in game one.
The Cards’ offense was a major story in their postseason opener as they racked up 10 hits in the game, and Ryan Carter was one of the main engines helping push the lineup forward. Carter led the team in both hits and RBIs as his three hits brought five runners in for scores. Ryan Lewis, Trinity Thompson and Nathan Beane each contributed multiple hits as well with two apiece. Thompson and Trevor Berger added two RBIs each to add to the scoring. In general, the Cards forced Randolph’s defense to make plays as only three Columbus batters struck out throughout the game.
Columbus got a strong performance from the defense and a quality start from pitcher Dylan Zajicek who finished the game with seven strikeouts and zero walks.
Game 2, W, 19-3
The Cards picked a good time to have their second-best scoring game of the season as they nearly broke the 20-point threshold for the second time this season. It did not take long for Columbus to set the tone in this game as they came out with an impressive first inning that basically decided the game. The real tone setter in game two was senior Conner Geisler who took advantage of his first atbat to knock a three-run homer in the first inning for the Cards’ first points of the game. Geisler went on to bring in three more runs as he finished with a game-high six RBIs. His big swing contributed to an 11-point first inning that Columbus followed up with four runs in the second and four combined runs in the third and fourth to put the game to bed.
The Cards once again reached double-digit hitting with 11 hits led by Geisler’s three. Trevor Berger had two hits as the only other Card to have multiple hits in the game, and Ryan Lewis batted in two runners for scores as the only other player to have multiple RBIs.
Kaleb Kuhn and James Janek combined on the mound to allow just two hits by their opponents as the defense turned in another strong effort.
