Cardinals bounce back to split with Lawton

It wasn’t necessarily a perfect day for the Southern Financial Group Ardmore Cardinals, but the team continued to make strides in its summer season in splitting a doubleheader with the Lawton Colonels.

The day didn’t start off well for the Cardinals, as Lawton earned a 13-5 victory in the first contest of the day.

Ardmore jumped out to an early 5-3 lead, but a seven-run fourth inning by Lawton doomed the Cardinals early, as the team was unable to bounce back offensively.

"A couple of bloop singles, another single, a couple walks and boom, a grand slam,” head coach Jake Melton said. “That’s all it takes.”

Ardmore got offensive contributions out of Blake Campo, who went 2-for-3 with a double and triple, and Cash Miller, who blasted a home run, but it proved too little.

Garrett Edwards took the loss for Ardmore, though Melton didn’t feel he necessarily had a bad game on the mound. Seven of Lawton’s 13 runs came on two hits, a three-run home run and a grand slam in the fourth.

“He really didn’t throw that bad,” Melton said. “Giving up a three-run homer and a grand slam is really just kind of bad luck.”

The team managed to bounce back in a big way, however, in game 2, storming out of the gates en route to a big 8-1 win to split the doubleheader.

Caleb McDonald got the scoring started for the Cardinals in the first inning, knocking a two-run double that set the tone, as Ardmore scored all eight of its runs in the first four innings.

Miller launched his second homer of the day, a three-run shot, in the fourth, while Campo added a two-run home run of his own in the second inning.

“We bounced back well,” Melton said. “We played a lot better and started to get better at-bats.”

On the mound, C.J. Gregory (4-1) did enough to win the contest, allowing just three hits and a single run in seven innings, while striking out four against two walks.

“Whenever C.J. takes the mound, we feel like we have a good chance,” Melton said. “He keeps the ball down and gets a lot of outs.”

Ardmore has won 12 of its last 15 games and is now 21-12 on the summer season.

———

Tuesday

At Lone Grove HS

Game 1

Lawton Colonels 13, Ardmore Cardinals 5, 6 inn.

Lawton    003    703    —    13    11    1

Ardmore    005    000    —    5    6    3

Garrett Edwards and Cade Carter. Converse and Madigan. W — Converse. L — Edwards.

2B — Ardmore: Blake Campo, Carter. 3B — Ardmore: Campo. HR — Ardmore: Cash Miller; Lawton: Capps, Gatlin.

Game 2

Ardmore Cardinals 8, Lawton Colonels 1

Lawton    000    100    0    —    1    3    0

Ardmore    220    400    x    —    8    8    1

C.J. Gregory and Cash Miller. Yawning, Jones (5) and Madigan. W — Gregory (4-1). L — Yawning.

2B — Ardmore: Caleb McDonald. HR — Ardmore: Blake Campo, Cash Miller.