Photo by Jim Marczesky Ben Lippen catcher Isaac Elsenheimer tries to put the tag on Cardinal Newman's Tommy Winterstein. The Cardinal Newman Cardinals came into their contest at Heathwood Hall on Friday, April 24 knowing that a win would give them a second chance to make the SCISA baseball playoffs and that a loss would send them home once again.

Coming off a double- digit loss to Augusta Christian the night before didn't help matters. So coach Mike Darnell challenged his players to come out fighting and to have fun during the game. The Cardinals responded, defeating the Highlanders 7- 5 in nine innings to force a one- game playoff with Ben Lippen the following day.

Things did not start well for the Cardinals (9- 13, 4- 6). The Highlanders scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning on RBI singles by Melton Bristow and Walker Sojourner sandwiched around an RBI triple by Davis Ray. The Highlanders (11- 7, 7- 3) added another run in the second when Whit Hensley scored on an overthrow. But Cardinal pitcher Michael Bolchoz settled down after that, allowing his team to stay within striking distance.

And strike they did. In the fifth inning, Joey DeAngelis singled with two outs and scored on the next pitch as Tommy Winterstein followed with a triple to right- center. Rush Tompkins followed with a run- scoring double on the next pitch, and suddenly Cardinal Newman was within two runs at 4- 2.

Heathwood got a run back in the bottom of the fifth when Ray singled, stole second, and scored on a double by Sojourner, all with two outs. But the Cardinals rebounded in the top of the sixth.

Robert Bonner was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in a run. DeAngelis followed with an RBI fielder's choice to pull Cardinal Newman within one. Then Highlander pitcher Chris Leventis committed a balk to send John Bolchoz home with the tying run.

Michael Bolchoz, pitching on a balky knee that was injured during football season and kept him from catching the final week of the season, found a groove on the mound, retiring eight of the next nine hitters. The Cardinals were denied a run in the top of the seventh, leaving the bases loaded. The game went into extra innings tied at five.

The Cardinals finally broke through in the top of the ninth off Leventis, pitching his fifth inning of relief.

Tompkins reached on an error and went to third on a single by Greg Regan. Leventis then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Tompkins to score from third. After J. C. Auld was hit by a pitch, Mark Greenwood laced a double to the left- field wall to drive in Regan with an insurance run. Bolchoz struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to complete the victory for the Cardinals.

For Cardinal Newman, Winterstein went 3- for- 5, and Regan went 2- for- 3 with two stolen bases. Davis Ray led Heathwood by going 3- for- 4 with two stolen bases.

Cardinal Newman played Ben Lippen in a play- in game on Saturday, April 25 for the right to face Wilson Hall in the SCISA playoffs. Heathwood Hall's next game was Monday, April 27 in the playoffs hosting Florence Christian.