the cardinals won their first league championship of the modern era in 1986. the team featured slugger gary alexander, who hit .313 with 12 home runs, and ace hurlers and future major leaguers jeff conine and mike ignasiak. led by manager john castleberry, the cards boasted the league's best record in the regular season, and met chatham in the playoff semi-finals. in game 1 at eldredge park, the cardinals got a three-run clout from bart heffernan, and ignasiak twirled a complete game to best the a's, 6-4. game 2 at veterans field went to extra innings tied at 2-2. chatham's ace, ccbl hall of famer mark petkovsek, dominated cardinal hitters, allowing only two hits through ten frames. in the 11th, petkovsek gave up a lead-off single to alexander, and was left in the game to face kevin garner, who popped one just over the right field fence for the series-winning walk-off score.