Saturday was a tremendously rewarding day for the Abbotsford Cardinals.
In the morning, the local B.C. Premier Baseball League squad welcomed 140 age eight- and nine-year-olds to their DeLair Park diamond for their first annual “Tadpole Day,” which saw Cardinals players lead instruction sessions with teams from the Abbotsford Angels Hardball Association.
In the afternoon, the Cards took centre stage, sweeping a doubleheader against the Parksville Royals.
“It was a long day,” Cards coach Corey Eckstein noted with a chuckle. “But it’s important for our players to grow the game and give back. So many people have given to them since they were young.
“Our job is to . . . keep kids involved, and hopefully they want to be a part of our program one day.”
The Abby squad rallied from a 4-0 deficit to win the first game vs. Parksville 5-4, with Nick LaFlamme sparking the comeback with two RBI. They completed the sweep with a 3-2 triumph, behind seven strong innings from pitcher Jonah Swanson.
The Cards are 8-5, good for fourth in the BCPBL, and they travel to Okotoks, Alta. this week for a tournament.