"That was a monster hit," said Willson's gleeful teammate Alex Haussmann. "I mean, that ball went all the way to the parking lot and literally hit a car."
The game started with brilliant pitching from ace Jacob Staley, who looked like a one-man show through the first several innings. Staley struck out the first batter he faced, and then smothered a hot grounder to the pitcher to get the out at first. Next, he struck out the third Cardinal he faced.
Staley quickly grabbed his bat and became the lead-off hitter for the Rams. He hit a single, and was driven home on a hard-hit ball by Haussmann. Catcher Joe Anderson drew a walk, and shortstop Wyatt Featherson took the plate. Featherston sent Haussmann home, for a first inning score of 2-0.
In the second and third innings, the pitchers were in charge. The Ram's Staley retired the six Cardinal batters in order, but the Cardinals pitcher dealt the Rams a similar fate. Four of the next seven batters struck out, while second baseman Arley Anderson hit a hot grounder that was fielded by the pitcher, Staley hit his second single, and Haussmann popped up a fly in the infield.
The Cardinals finally got a runner on base in the fourth inning, but the Rams made a sweet play with two base runners threatening. Catcher Joe Anderson threw a bullet to Benjamin Boyd at third base to tag the lead runner out, and end the inning.
The Rams bats got hot in the fourth, as Featherston smashed his second single of the game. That's when Willson hit his tape-measure home run. Austin Jones followed with a single, and eventually scored on a suicide-squeeze off of the bunt of Garrett Storm. Outfielder Benjamin McHugh drew a walk but was stranded at the end of the inning. Score Rams 5, Cardinals 0
The Cardinals scored two runs in the fifth inning. But the Rams kept the pressure on. Haussmann hit his second single and Anderson drew another walk. Haussmann stole home on an overthrow to the catcher, and Featherston completed a perfect day with a single down the middle and sent Anderson home. Score 8-2.
Despite being down six runs, the Cardinals didn't give up. They quickly loaded the bases, signaling it was time to change pitchers. Closer Colton Faubion took the mound to get the final two outs. He struck the first batter out, but facing the heart of the Cardinal's lineup proved to be quite a challenge. Their cleanup batter hit a dart that ricocheted against Featherston's legs, and the base runner crashed in to Boyd at third. But true to his cool and collected style, Faubion kept his composure and struck the final batter out. Score Rams 8, Cardinals 7.
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