After starting the season with a mixed bag of results, losing two games and winning two to start their season, the Cardinals fell back to earth over their four game road trip. Dropping three of four games, as well as losing to the Weyburn Beavers on Thursday night at Jubilee Park, put the Cardinals record at 3-6 after nine games in the WMBL season.
Before heading on the road, the Cardinals finished up a start to the season that saw them play four of five games at home with a weeknight clash with their East Division rival Weyburn Beavers coming to town.
Mike Meany would give the Cardinals the first lead of the game right and early in the bottom of the first inning, cashing in Liam Goodall with a sacrifice fly to give the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead at Jubilee Park to help out starting pitcher RJ Page's cause with some run support.
Sadly that was all that Page was going to get on that day, as the starting pitcher couldn't help out his own cause to make matters worse, giving the lead right back during a two run second inning for the Beavers, who wouldn't look back from that point wrapping up a 4-1 final at the end of the game.
Page went five innings, allowing four runs and walking three batters in the loss. The loss would end a Cardinals homestand where they played four of their first five games at home, losing three and winning just one before packing the bus and heading on a weekend road trip to Moose Jaw, Regina and Weyburn where manager Bill Sobkow hoped the Cardinals could turn things around.
After a stellar Opening Day start, Steve Barnett was given the ball on Friday night to kick off a two game set with the Moose Jaw Miller Express in some inter-division play. Barnett could not find the lights out stuff he had in the home opener, getting shelled for 10 earned runs in an eventual 13-5 blowout to kick off the road trip.
Still there were bright spots heading into the second game on Saturday as Kameron Mizzell and Nick Gallipeau both hit their first home runs of the season as the Cardinals bats showed life going into Saturday. Matt Bowles two doubles continued a pace that had him at the top of the WMBL's batting average category and the Cardinals bats came to life again on Saturday in the rematch.
The hot bats would lead to a reversal of fortunes as the Cards peppered the Miller Express in the rematch on Saturday, winning 14-5 to split the two game set and bounce back from the frustration of their loss on Friday.
A Sunday afternoon game with the Regina Red Sox followed as the Cardinals continued their road trip, avoiding the rain, but not the heartbreak as a walkoff run in the bottom of the ninth foiled the Cardinals, who once again wasted quality pitching against the defending back to back league champs. Mike Meany got the Cardinals lone RBI of the night to tie things up at 1-1 in the sixth inning, but it was for nothing as Kody Rock could not find the relief magic he showed in the Cards extra innings win over the Millionaires as the pride of Canora was saddled with the loss in relief.
A rain delay on Monday pushed the Cardinals game against the Weyburn Beavers to Tuesday where starting pitcher Shaniel Rivera was rocked for five runs in a five inning outing, putting the Cards in the hole going into the latter half of the ballgame. Weyburn would add another run off Kody Rock in the sixth to extend their lead to 6-1 before a four run inning brought the Cardinals all the way back to life as the Cards chased Chris Housley off of the mound before Houston Creighton put out the fire to preserve a 6-5 lead.
The Beavers would add one more run for insurance in the bottom of the seventh and that would be it for the Cardinals rally hopes as they fell painfully short to lose 7-5 to the Beavers despite a two RBI night for kevin McLeod.
Next for the Cardinals is a final road game against the Melville Millionaires, who the Cardinals have beat twice this season before a lengthy homestand at Jubilee Park as the Miller Express and the Lethbridge Bulls come into town for a busy weekend that will see baseball on three consecutive days.
This homestand will be key for the Cardinals who have fallen to 3-6 and are in danger of digging themselves a hole very similar to last season if they can't turn things around fast. Some signs of a winning ballclub have been there, but in order to make the playoffs you need to win games, the Cards need to find out how to fast.
