Earlham Echo

July 8, 2025

Most teams that lose twice as many games as they win during the regular season are ready to be done this time of year. Once they get to their playoff game, they go through their motions, lose, pack their stuff up quickly, head to the bus, and start thinking about how they are going to spend the rest of their summer.

That’s not what the Cardinals did in their district opener last Saturday against Southwest Valley. Coming in at 9-18, the Cards took the field with all the swagger of a team that had a completely opposite record. In a game shortened by the mercy rule, they battered Southwest Valley every way imaginable, winning the game, 12-1.

Despite all the tough times the Cardinals have had this season, they’ve been able to keep their collective chin up.

“We’ve been gaining confidence, especially at the end of the season,” said senior Klayton Wolken. “We’ve been getting the bats going and cleaning it up in the field. And tonight, we really put it all together. Right from the jump, we were on them.”

The Cards know they are better than their record. Playing the kind of schedule that they do, there are bound to be some bumps in the road. But the Cards are in a 1A tournament now. There are great teams in that class, of course, but they aren’t going to face anybody like some of the conference teams they’ve already played.

“It’s a little different,” said senior pitcher Blake Tiemeyer about playing somebody other than a top-tier WCAC team. “I know I need to just go at them. Nothing fancy. Which I tried to do. I couldn’t get my curve ball working, which was really frustrating. So I had to just go at them with the fastball and trust my defense behind me.”

Speaking of defense, the Cards did not commit an error against the Timberwolves. That’s the first time that’s happened all season.  

“We started off slow,” said Wolken. “Lots of fielding errors. We’ve had long innings when we couldn’t get out. And now we’re really starting to limit those snowball innings and putting it together.”

Tiemeyer pitched 3.2 innings, allowed just 2 hits, and struck out 4 batters. Carter Hohertz finished up and did not allow a hit. The Cardinal offense smashed 13 hits against four Southwest Valley pitchers. Hitting in the leadoff spot, Wolken was 3-3 with 3 RBI. He’s been the Cardinals’ money guy all year. He has lifted his average to .422—and he makes good contact seemingly all the time.

“Being leadoff, I’m just really trying to get on,” he said. “So I’m trying to find gaps. Trying to find spots where the defense isn’t. I try to hunt that fastball and drive it. Once I get down to 2 strikes, though, I just try to put the ball in play and make something happen.”

As the visiting team, the Cards got on the board in the top of the 1^st inning. Wolken was hit by a pitch, he advanced to 2^nd base on a passed ball, and went to 3^rd on a passed ball. Hohertz singled to give the Cards a 1-0 lead.

In the 2^nd, Cash Eitel reached base on a fielder’s choice. Jayden Jensen singled. Wolken then lined a ball into left field for an RBI single and the Cards led, 2-0.

Southwest Valley cut the lead in half by scoring a run in the bottom of the 2^nd.

In the Cardinal 3^rd, Hohertz reached on an error, A.J. Dunsky was hit by a pitch, and Konnar Stiles reached on an error. Austen Rodgers was hit by a pitch, forcing in a run, and the Cards led, 3-1.

The Cardinals put the game away with 7 runs in the 4^th. Konner Keller reached on a fielder’s choice and Hohertz walked. Tiemeyer singled to score Keller, and when the SWV right fielder booted the ball, Hohertz scored. Dunsky singled in Tiemeyer, and the Cards led, 6-1. Stiles singled, Dunsky singled, and then Rodgers delivered a 2-run single. Cash Eitel and Jensen walked, and then Wolken singled in 2 runs, giving the Cards a 10-1 lead.

The Cards added 2 more runs in the 5^th. Hohertz walked and Tiemeyer singled. Dunsky grounded out, scoring Hohertz. Tiemeyer scored when Stiles singled.

Hohertz struck out the first two Timberwolves in the 5^th, then fielded a ground ball and threw to Dunsky at first base for the final out, ending the thorough Cardinal victory.

Like Wolken, Tiemeyer and Stiles both had 3 hits. Rodgers had 3 RBI. Hohertz scored 3 runs.

Next up

The Cardinals take on East Union in Afton on Tuesday, July 8, at 7 p.m., in the 2^nd round of district play. East Union advanced by beating Murray, 7-6, last Saturday.