Channel Islands Makes Right Moves, 6-5

In his 26th year as coach at Channel Islands High, Don Cardinal knows a thing or two about the cardinal rules of baseball. In fact, Cardinal has been around long enough to have invented them.

So there was no second-guessing when Cardinal ordered an intentional walk of the potential go-ahead run in the fifth inning of Channel Islands’ 6-5 win over Royal in a Marmonte League opener Wednesday at Channel Islands.

Royal tied the score, 4-4, in the fifth on a run-scoring single by Dave Landaker and a two-out error that followed an intentional walk to Paul Taylor, who represented the go-ahead run.

Channel Islands got out of the jam and, also aided by a two-out error, went ahead to stay with a run in its half of the inning.

“You have to give your kids their best chance to win,” Cardinal said. “And I’ve been doing what I’ve been doing for a long time.”

Channel Islands (7-0 overall) twice intentionally walked Taylor, Royal’s No. 4 hitter, and also intentionally walked No. 3 hitter Landaker (three for three). Neither scored.

“We took the bat out of their hands, and the professional scouts who came to see them might not be too happy about that,” Cardinal said. “But I don’t care too much about that.”

Royal (3-3) scored in the first on Shane Slayton’s groundout and extended its lead to 2-0 on Slayton’s two-out single in the third.

The Highlanders, however, ran into trouble in the third when Taylor (2-1), the starting pitcher, walked four. With his team trailing, 2-1, Angel Aragon hit a three-run double with two out that gave Channel Islands a 4-2 lead.

Channel Islands scored what proved to be the winning run in the sixth courtesy of a bad hop. Bobby Peterson led off with a walk and George Macias, who ran for Peterson, scored when Johnny Olivares (two for two) doubled and a relay from center fielder Eugene Strojek hopped over shortstop Landaker’s head.