It was all Matthew Loringer could think about.

In the midst of playing five games in as many days, the Pocono Mountain East head coach grappled with how to handle the Cardinals’ pitching staff during a crucial stretch in their season.

James Balogh’s outing Wednesday put Loringer’s mind at ease.

The senior hurler allowed just one hit in six strong innings to lead Pocono Mountain East to a critical 11-0 win over Pleasant Valley in Eastern Pennsylvania Conference play.

“That’s big,” Loringer said of Balogh’s performance. “I’ve been staring at the calendar, lining up pitchers, and erasing names, putting names in, and it’s a challenge.

“So to have James come out today, and have our guys the last couple games be so efficient, has been big for us.”

Balogh needed just 84 pitches to get through six innings, striking out five and allowing just two walks as the Cardinals (8-5) won their third straight after enduring a three-game losing streak.

Pocono Mountain East gave Balogh plenty of run support in the top of the first inning, pushing across four runs on just one hit.

On the cusp of securing their 10th win and clinching a district playoff berth, the loss snapped a two-game winning streak for the Bears (9-6), who are playing five games in six days.

“We came into this game with a little bit of confidence, and we had four walks in the first inning, and they’re always gonna hurt you,” said Pleasant Valley coach Jeff Lazowski. “That’s something that we preach, and that’s baseball 101; walks are always gonna hurt you, and that put us behind a little bit.

“We had to place a couple calls to the bullpen, and play the catch-up game, and it just never happened for us.”

Balogh was dealing, while Pleasant Valley pitchers walked a total of nine batters in the contest, a combination the Bears just couldn’t overcome.

“With a kid who is on, and he was dealing pretty good,” Lazowski said of Balogh. “He was able to locate, and had a couple of our hitters fooled time-and-time-again.

“It’s tough when the pitcher’s on, and they’re playing defense and the balls aren’t dropping for you. It’s a different story if you get a Texas Leaguer that drops in and you get some momentum. But that never really happened for us here today.”

Balogh did it at the plate, too, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs, including a two-run double in the top of the sixth that made it 9-0. Nic Davenport and Gabe Stirr added RBI doubles later in the inning to put the mercy rule into effect.

Trailing 5-0, Brent Beck had Pleasant Valley’s only hit, a one-out single in the bottom of the second inning and eventually moved to third base. But Balogh got a strikeout to end the threat and the inning.

“Even if you go ahead and just play that small-ball, score a run here, another run there, another run there, and hold them, you find yourself in a 5-3, 5-4 ballgame,” Lazowski said. “And then you get that small hit, and we rally-up.

“But these guys never give up, one way or the other, whether they’re down five, or six, or seven early, or they’re up by that many. They’re out there playing the game, and they’re playing the best they can, and that’s what we ask.”

BIG RED MACHINE

… During their three-game winning streak, the Cardinals have outscored opponents 46-9.

SWEEP

… Pocono Mountain East won the first meeting against Pleasant Valley, 7-5, on April 11.

PM East 410 024 – 11 7 2

Pleasant Vy. 000 000 – 0 1 1

Balogh and Keane, Transue (6); Stivala, Ciszak (1), Bond (4), Greenzweig (5) and Greenzweig, Stivala (5). W – Balogh. L – Stivala.