The Strike Zone Cardinals, based out of Farmington, got some Durango-area help as they made a run to the final four of the Connie Mack World Series in Farmington before bowing out of the tournament Thursday night.
Durango High School baseball alumni Danny Rowley, Connor Dugan and Sean Blanchard, current DHS player Ben Wiley and Bayfield High School alumnus Clay Miller helped the Cardinals run through the consolation bracket back to a final four spot before they were eliminated with an 11-2 loss to the eventual champion East Cobb Yankees from Atlanta.
After falling in their opening game to D-BAT Leach, Strike Zone stayed alive by topping the Arecibo Lobos 9-5 in an elimination game.
Rowley went 4-for-4 for the Cardinals in the victory, and Miller got the final three outs in a relief appearance.
The Cardinals then dispatched the Frozen Ropes from McKinney, Texas, 7-3 to advance to the final four of the tournament. Rowley and Dugan each scored runs in the critical five-run fourth inning.
East Cobb went on to win the title 6-2 over the Southern California Renegades on Friday night.
Wiley will be a senior at DHS next season, while Rowley will be a sophomore at Eastern Arizona College.
Miller, drafted in the 35th round by the Kansas City Royals, is expected to play collegiately at Colorado Mesa after committing last winter.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
