By Tom Price Jr.
After dropping consecutive one-run decisions to end the Immanuel Tournament on March 13, the Lindsay baseball team took out their frustration on Farmersville Saturday during a doubleheader.
The Cardinals improve their record with a 9-1 win and a 5-2 win over the Aztecs in Farmersville. The hot and cold hitting continued for the Cardinals, but their pitching continued to impress getting six innings from Bryan Rios in the first game and a complete game from Abel Gamboa in the second.
"We did good, I wish we were hitting a little better but both pitchers did a real good job," Lindsay coach John Morrelli said. "I don't really feel like we are going to be a real power team, I don't see anybody in our lineup who is going to come in and hit bombs right now. If we can get seven or eight hits and walk here and there we have been fortunate with scoring runners when they get on base."
For Morrelli it is no secret that the key to his team's success is in the pitching and if their performance against Farmersville is any indication the future looks bright for the Cardinals.
Rios pitched the first of the two games stifling the Aztecs bats surrendering just one run on four hits in six innings while striking out seven and walking two in the 9-1 win.
"[Rios] is really good at changing speeds and keeping hitters off balance," Morrelli said. "He is able to get a lot of groundball outs."
While Rios dominated Farmersville hitters all game long, Todd Collier was equally as dominate at the plate. Collier had four of the Cardinals seven hits and drove in three runs. Bernardo Lemus added a hit, three runs, two RBI and one walk in the game.
Things didn't get easier for Aztec hitters in the second game when Abel Gamboa took mound in his first full workout since joining the team late from the basketball season. Gamboa struck out 14 batters and pitched a complete game in the 5-2 win. Even when Gamboa appeared to be struggling in the fifth after giving up two runs, he responded by striking out the next seven batters to end the game.
Noe Orosco led the Cardinals at the plate with three hits in four at bats including a triple.
Memo Orozco, Collier Lemus and Rios each added one hit and one RBI to lead the Cardinals offensively.
The Cardinals left six runners on base in the game and committed three fielding errors.
"This was basically his coming out party," Morrelli said. "He just threw the ball were he wanted to and the Farmersville batters couldn't touch him."
The Cardinals open East Sequoia League play on Friday against Orosi at home.
