Cardinals win tournament opener

The Carson Cardinals got off to an impressive start despite not being at full strength at the Doc Stewart's Invitational.

Rob Valerius pitched a complete game six-hitter as the Cardinals beat the McNary Mets of Salem, Ore., 9-3 on Thursday. The Cardinals were playing without Tony Fagan, Kyle Mandoki, Logan Parsley, Sean Costella and Kevin Schlange.

Costella and Parsley participated in the Area Code Games tryouts in Las Vegas on Thursday and will play today for the Cardinals. Schlange is participating in the Area Code Games tryouts in Salt Lake City and Fagan is playing in a Junior Olympic Tournament in Arizona. Mandoki is rehabiliting from an arm injury and while he's been cleared to pitch on a limited basis, it's been decided that he'll not throw for the rest of the summer.

All three runs that Valerius allowed were unearned as he struck out just one, but walked none.

The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Jeremian Teeter singled, stole second and scored on Jeff Young's single. Young, David Leid and Bryt Lewis all had RBI doubles in the third to give the Cardinals a 4-1 lead. In the fourth, Brooks Greenlee hit an RBI single, then stole second, went to third on a passed ball and scored on a fielder's choice to give the Cardinals a 6-2 lead. In the fifth, T.J. Hein, Royal Good and Greenlee all had RBI singles to make it 9-3.

Greenlee had two hits, two RBI and two runs, Young had two hits and three RBI, Jack Jacquet and Leid each had two hits and Nick Smallman and Chris Ames each scored a run.

The Cardinals will play today at 1 p.m. again against McNary and will play at 7 against Doc Stewart's. They will try to repeat what they did two years ago when they stunned Doc Stewart's to beat the tournament host.