Jacob Wedlock dominated from the mound and Doug Hill did the same at the plate as Cardinals won a top of the table clash in the Dunedin premier competition on Saturday, Cardinals have a 10 point lead with a game to spare following their 6-2 win over second placed Dodgers.
Wedlock, now the alpha dog of Otago pitching following the departure of star hurler Ben Watts, produced a fine performance against a dangerous Dodgers line up.
He conceded just three hits in seven innings, striking out 10 and walking just one.
But even the best pitchers need a run or two for protection, and Hill produced four with one blow.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, with Cardinals clinging on to a 2 1 lead, Hill belted a grand slam (bases loaded) home run off the first pitch he saw.
Earlier, Christian Amos had provided the first scoring when he hit a two RBI single to give Cardinals the lead.
Dodgers rebounded with a 10 3 win over Saints.
Saints leaped to a 3 0 lead halfway through the first inning, led by Kurt Paiaaua's two RBI single and James Mathieson's RBI single.
But Dodgers' reply was brutal, as they poured in 10 runs in the bottom of the first.
Cam Watts got the ball rolling with a home run with brother Matt on base, Lyall Herbert hit an RBI single, a flurry of errors led to a flurry of runs, and Hoani Iva Keen iced the inning with an RBI double.
Saints scored a run in the second but Cardinals added one more run in the second (a Nelson Yorston RBI double) and three in the third to seal the win early.
They were the only two premier games played on Saturday - there will be another shortened day in the next round - but Dodgers played an Ellis Park team yesterday in the second Clyma Shield game.
