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On Wednesday evening, George Rogers Clark (14-6) hoped to come away with a victory in Berea as they took on Madison Southern (8-8).

However, birds of a different flock came out on top.

The Cards, hobbled by an offense that struck out ten times, could not cross the scoreboard in a 4-0 loss to the Eagles.

“We struck out ten times in both games the last two games,” said GRC Head Coach Chris Varney. “We’re just trying to piece it together.”

In the first inning, the Cards showed signs of life as Abrahm Howard delivered an RBI ground-rule double with one out.

However, led by six innings of three-hit baseball by Caleb Cobb, the Eagles got out of trouble before the Cards got a run across the plate.

Howard, also pitching for the Cards, kept the game close by throwing four innings of shutout baseball.

He would strike out five batters over those four innings pitched before being relieved by Haddon Cecil.

Yet, in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Eagles pushed a run across the plate as Zach Morgeson delivered an RBI double.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, they created further trouble for the Cards by adding to their lead.

After Morgeson delivered the second run of the contest with a sacrifice fly, they scored twice more following a base hit and an error by the Cards.

Though Caden Spicer walked to begin the seventh inning—Cobb’s first walk of the game – Hayden Cain came on in relief and got out the next three Cardinal hitters to end the contest.

After Howard’s first-inning double, the Cards advanced a runner to second base only once, following a stolen base by Kamden McAlpin. They played with a different lineup due to several players recovering from injuries.

Starting right fielder Jake Sears and left fielder Ben Fulks delivered the other two hits for the Cards, both coming on singles.

In the two games before Thursday’s, the Cards put together seven runs in a 12-7 loss to Ryle and a 7-4 victory against Bourbon County.

They had just as many hits in those two contests.

Coach Varney responded when asked what the team needed to do to produce consistently on offense.

“Getting guys on base and using our [speed]. We didn’t get any runners on today, it didn’t seem like it,” he said. “When we can get on base and bunt and use our wheels, we’re a different team.”

Looking towards the future, Coach Varney knows what he’d like to see from his squad.

“We’ve got to get mentally tougher, have better quality at-bats, and make some stuff happen,” he said. “We’re trying to give enough guys enough opportunities.”