The Carson Cardinals opened the summer season with an encouraging 9-7 win in eight innings over the Galena Spartans on Thursday at Damonte Ranch.
In Galena, the Cardinals beat a team that had most of its nucleus that will be returning from a club that finished as the Northern 4A runner-up this past season. The Cardinals scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the score 7-7 and scored two runs in the eighth for the win.
In the seventh, Jeremiah Teeter walked and Bryt Lewis doubled. Teeter scored on Chris Ames' groundball and David Leid followed with a single to score Lewis.
In the eighth, Jeff Young walked, Brooks Greenlee singled and Teeter and Lewis walked to force in a run. Ames followed with another RBI groundball.
The Cardinals pitched two freshmen in Ed Lovelace and Rob Valerius. Lovelace started and went the first five innings while Valerius pitched three scoreless innings for the win.
Logan Parsley went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs, Young had a hit and two runs, Greenlee went 3-for-4 with two RBI, two runs and three stolen bases, Ames had two RBI and Lewis and Tony Fagan each added a hit for Carson. For Galena, Tony Thompson hit a two-run home run, Justin Norvick went 1-for-2 with two RBI and Eric Maupin was 2-for-4. Maupin pitched the first five innings and Basim Azzam finished up for Galena.
Carson will open the Reno Knights Memorial Tournament at 10 a.m. Saturday against the Northwest Royals at Wooster. The Cardinals will then play the Sparks Bombers at 2 p.m. at Reed on Saturday and will play the Sierra Sun Devils at 1 p.m. Sunday at Wooster.
