Cardinals Fall Short Against Atlanta

By Mark Requet

  The South Shelby Cardinals were defeated 5-4 by the Atlanta Hornets on the baseball diamond on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at South Shelby High School.

  Atlanta scored the first run of the game in the top of the first inning.

  South Shelby responded in the bottom of the first inning. Corbin Darling singled with one out. Darling stole second and scored on a two-out RBI single by Blake Brengle. Easton Sanders followed with a two-run homerun over the left field fence to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead after one inning.

  A sacrifice fly by Logan Beasley in the bottom of the second inning gave South Shelby a 4-1 lead after two innings.

  Atlanta scored three runs in the top of the third inning without getting a hit to tie the game at 4-4.

  The Hornets took the lead in the top of the fifth inning and the final was 5-4.

  Sanders led the Cardinals with two hits, including the homerun. He scored one run and finished with two RBIs. Brengle also added two hits for South Shelby.

  Jace McWilliams pitched three innings, allowing four runs on two hits, three walks, and four strikeouts. Peyson Larrick pitched four innings, allowing one unearned run on two hits, three walks, and one strikeout.

  South Shelby dropped to 1-3 with the loss.