By MATT KING\Daily Journal Sports Writer

Published: Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Updated: Wednesday, April 6, 2005 11:04 AM CDT

ST. CHARLES - The Mineral Area College baseball team unleashed another offensive assault on Tuesday to keep its most impressive run of the season going. The Cardinals hammered out 27 total hits while posting wins of 11-5 and 11-6 in a double-header sweep of the St. Charles Cougars.

MAC (12-15), which never trailed in either contest, has won five of its last six games, and eight of 11. Freshman Tyler Stahl was the brightest of several hitting stars for the Cardinals, going 4-for-5 in each game with six total RBI.

Michael Hardin allowed two runs on four hits while striking out three batters over five innings to earn the win in game one. The Cardinals received a RBI single by Sean Bard in the first inning and a RBI double by Stahl in the third to move ahead 2-0, then exploded for nine runs in the fourth.

A St. Charles error started the outburst before Ryan Becker doubled. Michael Hall and Ryan Dickerman ripped back-to-back RBI singles to make it 4-0. Joaby Sikes doubled and scored on a double by Stahl before a two-run single from Scott Hubbard increased the MAC lead to 7-0.

MAC continued the rally with RBI hits from Lucas Hulsey and Dickerman, along with a two-run single from Hall to build an 11-0 cushion. The Cardinals sent 14 batters in all to the plate during the fourth. Hall, Dickerman, Hubbard and Bard collected two hits each in the opener.

The Cardinals continued cranking out the hits in game two, taking quick control with six runs while batting around in the first inning. Ryan Hoffman singled and Marty Clements doubled with one out, leading to RBI singles by Bard and Stahl. Hall capped the inning with a key two-run double.

The Cougars answered with two runs in the bottom of the first against MAC starter Drew Horrell, but would not score again until the seventh. Horrell recorded four strikeouts while surrendering seven hits and four walks over five innings to earn the victory.

MAC added two runs in the sixth, courtesy of a RBI single from Stahl and a sacrifice fly from Aaron Miller. Stahl put the final touches on his amazing afternoon with a bases-clearing, three-run double in the seventh inning.

On Sunday, Mineral Area split a pair of games with Maple Woods in Kansas City, edging the Centuars 11-10 in the first game before falling 10-6.

The Cardinals will host Florissant Valley for two games on Thursday, beginning at 2 p.m. before entertaining Meramec on Saturday.

GAME ONE

Mineral Area 101 900 0 - 11 15 2

St. Charles 000 020 3 - 5 10 1

MAC:

Hitting - Stahl 4, Dickerman 2, Bard 2, Hubbard 2, Hall 2, Sikes, Hulsey, Becker. 2b - Stahl 2, Becker, Sikes.

Pitching - Hardin (W) 5i 2r 4h 4k 3bb, Mabury 2i 3r 6h 1k 1bb.

GAME TWO

Mineral Area 600 002 3 - 11 12 0

St. Charles 200 000 4 - 6 12 3

MAC:

Hitting - Stahl 4, Hoffman 2, Bard 2, Clements, Becker, Miller, Hall. 2b - Stahl, Clements, Hall.

Pitching - Horrell (W) 5i 2r 7h 4k 4bb, Tesreau 2i 4r 5h 1k 1bb.