The Cardinals had their hands full on Thursday night, as they defeated Grant on the road 1-0 and 4-3 in CSAA action.

Game one took eight innings to settle, with the only run coming in the top of the eighth from Jonathan Losinski’s RBI single to score Ty Gielczyk. Phillip Wilber along with Losinski and Gielczyk had two hits apiece. Gielczyk check marveled on the mound, throwing seven innings, allowing five hits, no hits, and striking out seven. Noah Sweppenheiser registered the eighth inning save for the Cardinals.

“On the mound in game one and at the plate both games, Gielczyk was unstoppable all night,” Head coach J.T. Scarpelli said.

Despite Big Rapids scoring the first run in game two, Grant would jump on top of the second with three runs to take a 3-1 lead. The Cardinals battled back in the third with two runs to tie it and then scored the deciding run in the fifth to ultimately win 4-3. Isaac Zocco led Big Rapids with two runs scored, along with Gielczyk and Mason McNeilly adding two hits apiece. Wilber led the lineup with two RBIs. Cole Haist secured the victory on the mound with only three hits and runs allowed in 6 2/3 innings of work, including retiring 14 batters in the row. Sweppenheiser earned the one out save.
“The defense was solid and the pitching was outstanding,” Scarpelli said. “(Our) hitting ran into some bad luck at times but the guys persevered to get it done.”

Big Rapids remains at the top of the CSAA with a 13-1 record, followed by Reed City at 10-5, Chip Hills at 8-4, and Grant at 9-5.