MIRAMICHI SPORTS: Cardinals Capture 2012 MVBL Pennant

GRAND FALLS - The Newcastle Cardinals have captured the 2012 Miramichi Valley Baseball League pennant.

The Cards clinched the regular season title Friday night, on the road, downing the Grand Falls Cataracts 9-0.

The second place Cataracts were never in the game. Newcastle jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. Brad Gallant and Denis Graham hit back-to-back home runs to contribute to the the early lead.

They extended the lead to 6-0 after two and it was pretty much over from that point. Craig Russell picked up the win for Newcastle.

The game was the second road game in as many days for Newcastle. The Cardinals travelled across the Miramichi Bridge Thursday night to face their inner-city rivals, the Chatham Head Tigers. Not much of a contest in this one as the Cards ended it in six with a 21-3 spanking of the toothless Tigers. Gary Ryder picked up the win for Newcastle.

The teams meet again Tueday night in Chatham Head at 7:30 p.m. The game is a make-up from June 28 and will wrap up the regular season for both teams.

With the wins, the Cards move to 18-4 on the season while the Tigers sit at 7-14. Meanwhile the Cataracts, who started the season 9-0 and looked like a juggernaught, have dropped to third in the league at 15-7 behind the Tracadie-Sheila Aigles who are 17-7.