Cardinals win five by wide margins before first loss

Webb City’s baseball Cardinals won their first five games before playing their first close game and suffering their first loss.

In those first five games, the Cardinals outscored their opponents 62-22. At Springdale Thursday, they won 15-2, followed by wins Friday and Saturday in the Willard tournament against Marquette (12-8) and Rock Bridge (13-3).

It was different at home Tuesday when John Hersey High, of Arlington Heights, Ill., took a 6-0 lead after two innings. The Cardinals, even though they managed to get just two hits the whole game, came back in the third for a 6-6 tie. But they couldn’t answer the visitors’ added run in the fifth as they took the 7-6 loss.

The 5-1 Cardinals will be going for their sixth win on the Missouri Southern field Thursday against Lake Community, of Lake Villa, Ill.

On Friday and Saturday, they’ll be playing Belton, Lee’s Summit North and Kearney in the Springfield Red & Blue Tourney.

On Tuesday, they’ll be at McDonald County and then back home Thursday against Neosho.