LEXINGTON: Sebastian Arden pitched five one-run innings, but stranded base-runners and a tough sixth inning saw the Friday’s game slip away from the Cardinals.
“Our inability to score runs with runners in scoring position really hurt us,” Cardinals coach Scott Willard said. “In the sixth and the seventh, we had runners on second and third and one out and didn’t score. That was the difference to me.”
Arden threw five efficient innings, giving up just three hits and one unearned run, and striking out three.
“(Arden) threw really well,” Willard said. “It seems like he does much better as a starter, so that’s kind of the role we are going to give him. We have to make sure we make our defense exactly how we like it when he is starting because he is our best shortstop.”
Preston Luckett struggled in relief, as he took over in the sixth and Tates Creek scored four runs to take the lead.
Scott County’s bats came out hot, as Duncan Stevens broke the ice with an RBI double in the first. Garret Sparks kept it moving with a two run single to make it 3-0 Cardinals, and a sacrifice fly made it a four-run first inning.
The lone score against Arden was an RBI single in the third inning that pulled Creek within three runs.
The Cardinals bats went cold after the first, as they didn’t truly threaten a score again until the sixth, when Parker Dotson and Justin Stevenson reached to lead off the inning. Hurt laid down a sacrifice bunt to move them over, but a pop out and a groundout ended the threat.
The Cardinals fall to 14-7 with the loss.