With the Diamond Devils up 4-2, Andrew Engebretson unloaded with a 407 foot three run homerun to pace the Devils to a 8-4 win over the Hampton Cardinals.

The Diamond Devils put the first two runs on the scoreboard in the top of the first. With one out, KC Johnson was able to reach first on a strike out when the ball rolled to the fence after getting by the catcher. Brad Mazer singled to put runners at first and second. Both KC and Brad scored on a double hit to left center by Adam Gregg.

Hampton cut the lead in half in the third inning. The Cardinal’s Joe Robinson was hit by a pitch to start off the inning. Rob Giefer sac bunted Joe to second before Joe moved up to third on a wild pitch. Andrew Hansen scored Joe with a ground ball out to short.

Hampton knotted the game up in the fourth inning. Hampton’s Ryan Giefer led off the inning with a walk and then moved up to third on a base hit form David Olson. A pop out to the pitcher preceded a Josh Thom ground out to second that scored Ryan.

With every Devil out or a half way decent offensive or defensive play a lady in the center field bleachers would blow an air horn. However, after the Devil’s fifth inning hitting barrage she left the bleachers and was not heard from again. With one out, KC Johnson was hit by a pitch and then scored from first base on a Brad Mazer double to the fence in left center. Brad scored easily on a base hit to center from Adam Gregg. Adam stole second before Brandon Schliinz moved him to third on a single. With runners at the corners, Andrew Engebretson jacked a 1-0 pitch than an announcer estimated to be”4,884 inches.” For the most part, Andrew’s three run blast did the Cardinals and their fans in.

Hampton did a little damage control in the bottom half of the inning. Joe Robinson led off with a base hit and on an unusual play moved up to third on a two base wild pitch when the catcher could not find the ball. Joe would cross the plate on a Rob Giefer RBI single. After a fly out to center the Cardinal’s batter walked giving them runners at first and second with one out. However, the next batter hit into an inning ending double play to short.

The Devils countered with another run in the top of the sixth. Ryan Dwyer started off the inning with a base hit and then Matt Goodwald sac bunted Ryan to second. Ryan moved up to third on a fly out to right field. The Cardinals intentionally walked Brad Mazer to get to the Devil’s fourth hitter Adam Gregg. Adam did not disappoint the Devil fans as he singled in Ryan from third.

Up to this point in the game, the Devil’s starting pitcher CJ Goodwald did a good job of keeping the Cardinals off balance at the plate. He got the big out when he needed it,  benefited
from some good defense, victimized by wild pitches and some overly aggressive defense. All of it came together as the Cardinals scored their last run of the game in the sixth inning. Hampton’s David Olson led off the inning with a double. CJ got the next hitter to pop out to short. In the next at bat David moved up to third on a wild pitch before the batter walked. At that point the Bruce Geislinger replaced CJ on the mound. Bruce got the first batter he faced to line out to second base. On the play, the Devils tried to double up the runner at first but an errant throw trickled into the Hampton dugout to score the final run of the game.

Bruce finished off the game for the Devils on the mound but not before Hampton got a small threat going in the ninth. After back-to-back base hits to start off the inning, Bruce got the third batter to ground into a double play at short. The fourth and final batter never left the batter’s box as his broken bat ground ball to third was easily fielded. The Cardinal’s season was ended with the throw over to first.