Sophomore Cody Wheeler is fast establishing himself as a key player on a young South Fork baseball team and turned in another good performance on Thursday.

The Cubs welcomed St. Bernard’s to Miranda and matched up well against the Little 4 champs early in the game, before eventually falling 10-0.

They trailed by just two runs heading into the third inning, but a loaded Crusaders team would gradually pull away before eventually ending the game early on the 10-run rule with four runs in the top of the sixth.

However, there were some bright spots for the home team, most notably the play of Wheeler, who continues to grow in stature, both on the mound and at the plate.

“We came out playing solid baseball today and pretty much hung in there with them till the very end,” South Fork head coach Alex Finn said.

And one player in particular played a key role in that.

“Cody Wheeler pitched great,” Finn said. “As a sophomore, he’s really grown into his role on the team and has the confidence and desire to compete.”

The young pitcher kept his team in contention early in the game and also was 1-for-2 at the plate with a stolen base and a run.

“He’s also starting to come around at the plate,” the coach added. “Not only does he see the ball well, which helps him draw a lot of walks, (but) when he connects there’s a lot of pop in his bat.”

Wheeler’s teammate Shawn Schmidt also made some noise at the plate, as the Cubs cut down on their strikeouts with only six for the game.

Schmidt had a double, an RBI and scored a run, while Travis “T-Bone” Way added a base hit and “played extremely well defensively at third base,” according to his coach.

Sheyne Casey and John Stafslien each also had a double in the loss, while Yoshi Hatch and Bo Ayala each had a single, with Hatch driving in a run.

Shortstop Mason Bell helped set the tone defensively and has been a “huge bright spot for the team this year,” according to his coach.

“He’s beyond his years as a freshman playing in his first year of varsity ball,” Finn said.

Stafslien also pitched an inning in relief.

Walks, however, continued to be a concern for the Cubs, who allowed seven of them, all of which led to runs.

“We need to limit how many free passes we give out,” Finn said. “Almost always, walks and errors turn into runs at the high school level.”

Finn also paid tribute to the Crusaders, who as expected clinched at least a share of the Little 4 championship with the win.

SB junior Luke Brunton had another good day on the mound in the win, pitching four “stellar innings” in relief, according to Finn.

“That kid can play ball,” the coach added of the versatile standout. “(He can play) multiple positions in the infield and has become light out on the mound.”

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Brunton had a perfect three-strikeout inning, in which he threw just nine pitches.

For more on the Crusaders another big day, see Crusaders seal the deal, clinch at least a co-championship in Little 4 …

The Cubs, who are 1-9 in the Little 4, will play a non-conference game at St. Vincent de Paul on Saturday at 1 p.m.