Forbes Road 17 Shanksville 7 (5 innings)

Bedford, Pa. – The District V Semifinal baseball game with Shanksville, scheduled at 4:00 at Everett, was moved this morning, due to poor field conditions, to Bedford at 1:30. A change of plans for the Cardinal baseball team did not phase them in the least.

Forbes Road slugged 13 hits in just four turns at bat, en route to the run-rule victory over third-seeded Shanksville.  The Cardinals jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.  Grayson Hall and Kole Kendall singled to start the home half of the first inning.  After a Logan Deshong sacrifice bunt, Levi Truax launched a homerun to left field.  The Vikings threatened in the second, loading the bases with one out.  Forbes Road shortstop Caleb Voegel snared Gabe Manthey’s line drive, then hustled to double Cy Brant off at second base. 

The Cardinals added five runs in their second turn, highlighted by Logan Deshong’s bases clearing double off the left-center field fence.  Shanksville cracked the scoring column in the third, sandwiching a hit batsmen between three hits to plate three runs, all with two outs. 

Forbes Road responded in their half of the third, chasing Viking starter Cy Brant and plating six runs.  Truax launched another long fly off the wall, scoring two.  Ethan Wright followed with a triple that eluded the Shanksville centerfielder, capping the inning. 

The Cardinals tacked on three insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth.  Kole Kendall’s two-out double just eluded a falling Shanksville right fielder.  Traux rattled the left field fence one more time to chase home Kendall. 

Shanksville rallied for four runs in the fifth, including a Matt Addleman three-run homerun, but could not avoid the early ending.  Caleb Hershey claimed the pitching victory for Forbes Road,  going the first four-plus innings. 

Truax’s 3-4 day at the plate included six RBIs.  Logan Deshong finished only 1-1 with his double, but reached base three times (BB, HBP) and drove in four runs.  Grayson Hall and Kole Kendall each finished 3-3 on the day and scored four runs apiece.  The Cardinals await the winner of first-seeded Rockwood and fourth-seeded Tussey Mountain.  The District Championship is scheduled for Wednesday, May 29, time and location to be determined.  Both Championship participants will advance to interdistrict play on June 3. This will be the Cardinals first trip to the District V Championship since 2004, when they claimed their first title by beating Everett.