9U Canton Cardinals win the
Pinckney Pirates Baseball Classic

May 25, 2010, 410:05 p.m.

  The 9U Canton Cardinals won the Pinckney Pirates Baseball Classic in Hamburg, MI, May 22-23.

  The Cardinals dominated the 12-team field, going 5-0 while outscoring their foes, 63-9.

  Adam Pitcole led the Cardinals' offensive onslaught, tallying 12 RBI while scoring eight runs.

  The Cardinals won a key game in the opener, doubling up the Northville Broncos, 8-4. They then beat their next three opponents -- Fenton Downriver and DeWitt -- by a combined scored of 50-3.

  The pitching trio of Aaron Dolney, Jimmy Knittel and Ryan McAuliffe pitched well throughout the weekend, registering a combined E.R.A. of 2.16. McAuliffe went 2-0 with a save while ringing up 11 strikeouts. Robby Begley also contributed with two scoreless innings of relief.

  The championship game against Flushing was a nail-biter with both teams playing outstanding defense. With two runners on and one out in the first, the Raiders hit a shot to right field that was run down by Michael Kruszka. Ryan Zerona followed that up with a run-saving catch in center field. Donley, the starter, pitched three innings, yielding just three base runners.

  Trailing 2-0 in the sixth, the Cardinals rallied for five runs thanks to key hits from Pitcole, Guido Constantino, Ben Spencer, Kyle Aniol and Thomas Harvey.

  Pictured in the team photo above are (front row from left) Aaron Dolney, Ryan Zerona, Thomas Harvey, Kyle Aniol, Michael Kruszka, Guido Constantino, Robby Begley, (middle row) Ben Spencer, Adam Pitcole, Ryan McAuliffe, Jimmy Knittel, Jacob Kash, (back row) assistant coaches Bob Begley and Rich Harvey, and head coach Pat McAuliffe.