After the Cardinals 4-0 win over the world champion Florida Marlins, the Cougars and Tigers were escorted onto the field by the Cardinal team officials and were given a 2 ½  hour time limit to play as many players and innings that they could get in.

As the gates in right field were opened up and the team entered the stadium, the large crowd of Cougar fans greeted them with a thunderous ovation and it was reminiscent of a commercial that weve all seen on TV.

Playing in the Springfield Showcase at Lanphier Park, the home of the annual Class A state tournament:  $500.00.

Playing in St. Louis at Busch Stadium, the home of the Cardinals:  $10,000.

The look on those boys faces as they marched out on the field with their loyal fans cheering them on:  PRICELESS!!!

Under sunny skies and 70 degree temperatures, the Cougar faithful settled in around the team's third-base dugout to enjoy the game from the best seats in the house.

The Cougars didnt disappoint as they quickly jumped on the scoreboard by scoring six runs in the third inning and one more in the fourth to take a commanding 7-0 lead.

Highlighting the big uprising was a Spencer Patton double that one-hopped the wall in left field, scoring three Cougar baserunners.

They tacked on another run in the sixth, three more in the seventh, and a final tally in the ninth to account for their total of 12 runs for the game.

Other offensive highlights were provided by sophomore  Derrick Burns as he "hit the chalk" with a long double down the line in left, a pair of singles by his older brother Tyler Burns, and an RBI single from freshman Nick Simmons.

Overall, the Cougar bats hit the ball hard and did it with consistency. All thirty players got at least one at-bat and the team reached double figures for hits in the game.

Six Cougar pitchers got the thrill of pitching on the same mound that many Cardinal heroes from the past and the present have performed their skills.

Senior Brian Wodtka got the starting assignment and worked two scoreless innings. Tyler Burns was next and he followed up Wodtka's performance by also throwing two scoreless innings, as did the third Cougar hurler, Spencer Patton. Trey Garrett, Miles Yates, and Tyler Mulvany tossed the seventh, eighth, and ninth to close out a very successful outing by the pitching staff.

Not only were there highlights from the game on the field, there were other happenings that stood out as well. Seven senior players were invited onto the playing field to observe the Cardinals and Marlins as they took batting practice and a few of them were able obtain autographs from some of the obliging major league players. Some of the boys parked themselves in the outfield stands to chase down home run balls that were walloped over the wall for souveniers. Others just wandered around the stadium to take in all it's sights and sounds and to snap a few pictures.

Probably one of the biggest highlights for many of the players was to checkout the parking lot where the big-leaguers kept their wide array of expensive vehicles during the game. And, of course, watching the Cardinal game and rooting on their favorite players cannot be forgotten.

All in all, it was an awesome experience for the players, coaches, and fans and was a day full of memories that will last a lifetime for some.

If you missed this time around, the Cougars will be returning again in the fall, this time to take on the Brownstown Bombers. The date is Saturday, October 2 and the Cardinals will be hosting the Milwaukee Brewers. Look for future announcements on the details of another fun day at Busch Stadium.

Check out the game pics here.