YASENKA DAZZLES IN ELIZABETHTON WITH FIVE NO-HIT INNINGS

ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. - Michael YaSenka turned in one of the finest starts of the year for the Cardinals Saturday evening at Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark. The righty from Eastern Illinois University put together five no-hit innings and compiled eight strikeouts, but the Cardinals fell in walkoff fashion to the Twins 3-2.
YaSenka was masterful, allowing just two walks in five frames of work. He recorded at least one strikeout every inning and posted two strikeouts in each of the last three innings. He and reliever Tyler Peck held the Twins to just a sixth-inning infield single through seven innings.
Terry Fuller helped to break a 0-0 tie with a two-out RBI single to score Kyle Skeels in the seventh. Trejyn Fletcher followed in the eighth with a two-out RBI single of his own to score Todd Lott and make it 2-0 Cardinals. The Cards outhit the Twins 9-4 but also went just 2-for-11 with men in scoring position.
Skeels reached base three times, and Lott finished with three hits. The Cards left five in scoring position through the game's first six innings, failing to break the early 0-0 tie vs. Twins starter Sawyer Gipson-Long and early relief man Ryan Shreve. Dylan Thomas (1-1) would go on to pick up the win after allowing the Fletcher RBI in the eighth but posting a scoreless ninth. 
The Twins cut the Cards lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single from Willie Joe Garry Jr. vs. reliever John Witkowski. In the ninth, Cameron Dulle (2-1) issued two walks before Ruben Santana launched a two-out, two-RBI walkoff double to the wall in left center. The walkoff loss was the first of the year for the Cardinals, who scored a walkoff win vs. Elizabethton on Monday. 
Johnson City and Elizabethton continue to four-game series tomorrow. First pitch is slated for 5:00 p.m. Francisco Justo (2-1, 2.53 ERA) is expected to start for the Cardinals vs. RHP Prelander Berroa (1-1, 3.38 ERA) for the Twins.
The Cards return home for a fun-filled homestand vs. the Pirates and Braves July 17-22. The full schedule for this season and season ticket information can be found online at jccardinals.com, or by calling the Cardinals Ticket Office at 423-461-4866.
ABOUT THE JOHNSON CITY CARDINALS
The Johnson City Cardinals are the Rookie affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Members of the ten-team Appalachian League, Cardinals baseball has been entertaining families and fans of America's national pastime in the East Tennessee region for over 50 years. To learn more about the Johnson City Cardinals, visit www.jccardinals.com.
[STORY PHOTO BY ROBERT KELL]