Cards Sweep Double-Header On Newly Renovated Hal Loughary Field

PARK HILLS, Mo. — A new era at Hal Loughary Field opened in impressive fashion Feb. 26, as the Mineral Area College Cardinals swept St. Louis Community College in a home-opening doubleheader, showcasing both dominant pitching and explosive offense on the facility's newly renovated surface.

The Cardinals christened the upgraded Hal Loughary Field — featuring a new artificial turf playing surface, expanded grandstands, and renovated bullpens — with a 2–0 shutout in Game 1 followed by a 13–6 victory in game two.

Cardinals' pitching shines in opener

Mineral Area rode a strong pitching performance to claim a tightly contested 2–0 victory in the opener, holding St. Louis Community College to just one hit.

Jett Sutton set the tone on the mound, tossing five scoreless innings while allowing a single hit and striking out seven to earn the win. Cole Murray secured the save with two shutout innings of relief, while Trent Gallagher worked a brief middle appearance.

The Cardinals scored single runs in the first and second innings and made them stand. Carson Shee delivered an RBI single and scored one of Mineral Area's runs, while Christian Kiper added an RBI. Cash Bailey contributed a double as part of the Cardinals' five-hit effort.

Despite issuing six walks, Mineral Area's pitching staff consistently worked out of trouble to preserve the shutout.

Offensive explosion completes sweep

The Cardinals' offense erupted in Game 2, pounding out 14 hits and drawing 10 walks in a 13–6 victory to complete the sweep.

After falling behind 3–0 in the first inning, Mineral Area answered quickly with two runs in the bottom of the frame and took control with a three-run third inning. The Cardinals later broke the game open with a five-run seventh inning to seal the win.

Tucker Thompson led the offensive surge, going 3-for-5 with four RBIs. Clemson Julian powered the lineup with three hits, including a home run, while driving in a run and scoring twice. Carson Shee added two hits and two RBIs, and Sam Weinstein contributed two RBIs.

Tanner Fujino reached base five times, scoring four runs, while Brad Chaisson and Peyton Kight each scored twice in the balanced attack.

On the mound, Tyson Greenwood earned the win, allowing four runs (two earned) over 4 1/3 innings. Dominic Sutton provided solid middle relief, and Carson McDaniel closed the game with two scoreless innings.