Some birds fly south to keep warm. When the Comox Valley Cardinals flew south this past weekend they made things hot for the opposition at the Vancouver Island Mosquito Tier 2 minor baseball championships.

In fact, the Red Birds ruled the roost at the July 25-26 event in Victoria, using solid team play to capture the Island title. The Card are in Surrey this weekend for the 2009 Provincials along with Duncan, Kelowna, Vernon, Prince George and five Vancouver area clubs. (For scores and more info go to www.ballcharts.com/cvba).

The Cardinals opened the Island championships against the same Victoria Bandits who beat them in a tournament final in Juan de Fuca in mid July. It was a totally different game this time as the Cards, led by William Drewry (three RBI) and Wyatt Strachan (two-run inside the park home run), prevailed 8-3. Liam Janzen, Bryce Stromquist, Liam Wirth and Strachan combined for the win on the mound.

Duncan Red Sox came to play in the second game Saturday and the Cards withered in the strong afternoon sun as the Red Sox took the game 16-5. Matteo Giomo went 1-for-2 with a triple while Drewry was 2-for-3. Solid hitting and some errors made for a tough outing on the mound for pitchers Ryan Stich, Tyler Wong, Haydyn Kierstead and Giomo.

On Sunday morning it took a heart-stopping play at the plate to preserve a 6-6 tie with the Bandits. Wirth made the game-saving tag on a perfect throw by Drewry in the bottom of the seventh. Adam McKillican led the offence with a 3-for-3, two RBI day at the plate while Tyler Wong went 3-for-3 with an RBI. Stromquist, Janzen, McKillican and Wirth were the pitchers of record.

Needing a win against 2-0 Duncan to have a shot at the championship, Wirth, McKillican and Stromquist held the Red Sox batters to a mere four runs through five innings in the Cards’ final game of the round-robin event. McKillican led the team at the plate with his team tournament high .600 BA while Wirth, Giomo, Stich and Kierstead also contributed big hits. Not to be outdone, Strachan, Doleman, Wong, and Alex Wilford dominated the tired Red Sox pitching staff with their clever use of small ball

offence in an 11-9 Cardinal win.

With a 2-1-1 record, the Cards now had to hope the Bandits would provide a little help by beating Duncan in the last game of the tourney, and they did just that to give

the Cardinals the Island crown.

Manager Dave Drewry said, "a complete team

effort, with all players finding a way to contribute, was the key to a successful weekend on the diamond.”

“Our pitchers have been working hard all season and they showed that they can compete with the best batters on

the Island," added pitching coach Pete Stromquist.

Team manager Lee McKillican noted, "Good things happen when you have such a positive and committed group of coaches, parents and players. This is good start to our long-term goal of developing a competitive baseball program for the years to come."

DIAMOND DUST The Cards open play at the July 31 to Aug. 2 B.C.s Friday, facing Surrey in the morning and Burnaby in the afternoon ... the Comox Valley Bantam A Cardinals won the Island championship in Port Alberni last weekend and are in Vancouver this weekend for the Provincials ... more info is at www.bcminorbaseball.org ...