Chanhassen hosted the Fairfax Cardinals at Storm-Red Bird Stadium on Friday night and improved their record to 7 wins against 10 losses in River Valley League with an 11-4 victory over the West Division Cardinals.

Casey Malmgren started and worked 4 innings and got the win for the Red Birds allowing 1 run on 4 hits and getting 3 Ks against no BBs.  Luke Penovich worked 3 innings and Derek Nelson closed out the 8^th and 9^th inning.  The Red Birds got 9 Ks in total.

The Redbirds bats got busy right out of the gate, scoring 6 runs on 5 hits, 1 BB and 1 Cardinal error in the 1^st inning,  Malmgren walked to open the Red Bird half of the 1^st.  Adam Heitz then lined a double to left center to score Malmgren.  Cary McLaughlin then lined a single to right center that scored Heitz from 2^nd.  Singles and runs scored by Nick Brenner, Zach Swenson, John Gulden and TJ Gulden, and an error by Cardinal Shortstop on a grounder by Bobby Krzmarzick resulted in Red Birds leading 6-0 after the first inning.

Adam Heitz opened the 2^nd inning by drawing a walk and scored when Nick Brenner lined a pitch over the CF head for an Inside the park HomeRun.  Swenson and John Gulden then singled and Swenson scored on TJ Gulden’s second of 4 singles for the evening.

In the top of the 4^th inning, the visitors opened with a single by 2B Angel Munoz.  Munoz advanced to 2^nd on a wild pitch, and scored on a single to left center by C Adam Buboltz.  Starting Pitcher, Mark Yrjo then hit a deep fly to LF that bounced off the wall as LF Cary McLaughlin hit hard against the wall.  The ball caromed toward CF Adam Heitz, who threw to the relay man, John Gulden, who then threw to C Zach Swenson tagging out Adam Buboltz as he tried to score from 1^st.

Chanhassen ended their scoring in the 4^th inning when Luke Penovich hit a two out double to RF and advanced to 3^rd on TJ Gulden’s infield hit.  After Krzmarzick walked to load the bases, Malmgren lifted a soft liner down the RF line to plate Penovich and Gulden to take an 11-1 lead to the 7^th inning.

With the Cardinals batting in the top of the 7^th, Keith Buboltz drew a walk. Eric Schultz lined a single to left field.  Then SS Andy Wegscheid lined a ball under the glove of John Gulden at 3^rd that loaded the After a pop out to SS TJ Gulden, a single to right field by CF Blake Clobes scored Buboltz and Schultz to extend the game at least another inning.  An infield grounder by Angel Munoz with a Red Bird error at 1^st base scored Wegscheid from 3^rd base to end the scoring for the Cardinals.

Derek Nelson worked the 8^th and 9^th innings for the Red Birds shutting down the Cardinals with a strikeout, a 1-4-3 DP to end the 8^th and getting two long fly balls to CF Chris Reuvers to end the game.

Nick Brenner was 2-3, scoring twice and getting 2 RBIs on a Homerun over the CF in the 2nd inning.  TJ Gulden went 4-5 scoring twice and getting 3 RBIs.

The Red Birds finish up their regular season with a game on Sunday at Storm Red Bird Stadium with a 6:00 PM start.  It’s Fan Appreciation Night for the Red Birds organization.   Sponsors have donated lots of prizes to be given away to fans in attendance for the game.    Join the community in supporting the New Red Birds Inaugural Season by coming out to the game.

####