Needing a spark to help their chances of making the 2014 Western Major Baseball League Playoffs, the Yorkton Cardinals got just what they needed by going on a win streak last week before dropping two straight games to the first place Regina Red Sox in what was a successful week for the Cardinals whose winning week has the team holding onto a playoff spot.
After starting their win streak last Monday with a big victory over Melville, the Cardinals week would begin with another huge clash against the Millionaires as Yorkton would have another chance to separate themselves in the standings from the defending WMBL Champs when they visited Pirie Field in a game that provided plenty of offensive fireworks.
In total 36 runs were scored during their midweek affair as the Millionaires would put up 12 runs in the first three innings to take a 12-7 lead before the Cardinals bats wore down Melville with a big six run inning in the top of the seventh to allow Yorkton to eventually escape one of the highest scoring games in recent Yorkton Cardinals history with a 20-16 final score.
Yorkton would finish with a hit for every run scored, getting 20 hits on the night and bringing home all of them in a massive game for the Cardinals lineup as the Yorkton batters enjoyed padding their stats. Melville had 17 hits of their own, but thanks to some scrappy relief pitching from the Cardinals in the late innings the Millionaires offense wore down as the game went on.
On the other side of the coin the barnburner did a number on both clubs bullpens as the Cardinals and Millionaires both wore out their pitching staffs in the nine inning game where hitters were seemingly hitting anything that crossed the plate. Yorkton would use a high total of seven pitchers in the win while Melville would manage to just use four in the loss.
Not one Cardinals pitcher would make it past three innings of work as Aaron Dick, Max Chadsey, Easton Etter, Jeff Pool, Vin Whitenight, Austin Drummonds and Kameron Mizzell all did their part in getting through what was an extremely difficult pitching performance for everybody involved despite getting the four run victory at the end of the evening to extend their winning streak to two games and create some solid distance between themselves and the Millionaires in the standings.
Yorkton would remain in Melville the following night as they would start Codi Scanlon in hopes that after using their bullpen quite often the night before that their starter would be able to get through the majority of the game to give some relief arms a rest. That would happen as Scanlon would make it through seven innings of work, but not without some trouble as the Millionaires would start the game with the lead.
Runs in the first and third innings would put Melville up 3-0 early, but once again the Cardinals batters would find their groove after falling behind to eventually threaten the host Mils.
Shutting out the Millionaires pas the third inning, RBI's from seven different Cardinals batters led by Ben Grillo's two RBI night would lead Yorkton to a second straight win over Melville as the Cardinals would eventually win 8-3 as Scanlon would earn his second win of the 2014 season and their third straight win over Melville in as many games.
Following the big back to back wins over Melville, Yorkton's next challenge would be the Moose Jaw Miller Express as the Cardinals would visit to the Express on Friday in the first half of their two game weekend series that was slated for Friday and Sunday.
After playing from behind in both of their road wins against the Millionaires, at home the Cardinals decided they would rather play with a lead by scoring two second inning runs before climbing out to an eventual 7-0 lead after a four run explosion in the fifth inning.
That would be enough run support for starter Cole Roark as Moose Jaw would score four runs in the late innings to inch within striking distance, but never got close enough to scare the Cards in a third straight road win for Yorkton in the 7-4 final.
Nick Gotta and Kameron Mizzell were crucial at the plate for the Cardinals in the win as the shortstop and catcher both brought home two runs each in the victory.
Before returning home on Sunday to play the Express, Yorkton would visit Melville one more time with a chance at four straight wins in a week against their rivals, sending Jamie Whitehead to the mound with the hopes of extending their win streak.
Melville would enter the game also in need of a big win after their three losses to Yorkton, needing a victory to stay within striking distance heading into the final week of the season.
Yorkton would be in early control, starting the game in front 5-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth before the Cardinals got to Whitehead with a five run inning to tie the game up after the Yorkton batters gave their starter more than enough run support.
The Cards would grab the lead once again late, scoring single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to head into the bottom of the ninth with a two run lead.
Using position player Austin Drummonds as a closer in an attempt to save a pitching arm, the Cardinals paid for their questionable decision in losing their win streak as Drummonds couldn't get out of the ninth inning in a rare pitching appearance in what was an unfortunate way to see a losing streak end as the Cardinals infielder was put in a tough situation that he arguably should not have been placed in for the blown save opportunity.
To Yorkton's credit they would bounce back on Sunday, handing ace Jeff Pool the ball as the record holder for most innings pitched in a single season for the Cardinals in 2013 nearly pitched a complete game shutout, saving the bullpen arms as he rode nine runs of support from the Cardinals batters to an easy 9-2 win.
Post game Pool was happy to get the victory and also to help out the team by saving some arms.
"I got into some trouble out there throughout the game, but I really wanted to get the win and have a quality start before we headed out on the road and my teammates made some great defensive plays so we were able to do that," says Pool.
Pool also mentions that after playing on the 2013 Cardinals team that fell just short of the playoffs, his eyes are on the postseason.
"Coming from last year's team we know that we have a group here that can play playoff baseball and now we just have to get it done on the road after this win streak to make sure that it happens."
Two losses to the Regina Red Sox would put a bit of wet blanket on Yorkton's 5-1 run, but entering their long road trip until the final day of the regular season the Cardinals have a bit of breathing room with a one game lead over the Weyburn Beavers and a multiple game lead over the Melville Millionaires as they firmly sit in second place as of July 23.
Finishing off the season in a playoff spot may be easier said than done for the Cardinals as despite playing strong baseball as of late, Yorkton will be playing the toughest division in the league in the West Division when they make their Alberta swing in addition to having to play the 23-16 Swift Current Indians on the way to their five game tour through the WMBL's other province before a July 30 season finale against the Millionaires at Jubilee Park.
Yorkton will play Lethbridge twice with games against the Okotoks Dawgs sandwiched in between as the 27-13 Bulls will have first place hopefully clinched before the Cardinals come to town as the Cardinals will be playing the best team in the WMBL when they visit Lethbridge.
Yorkton will then play one final road game against Swift Current before their season finale in Melville. Likely needing a handful of wins to secure their playoff spot in the process.
That will be easier said than done as Yorkton face their most difficult travel schedule at the worst possible time, but winning on the road all of last week against Melville should give the Cards confidence that they can finish off what would be a historic successful season with a playoff berth when the dust settles. Heading on the road, the Cardinals control their own destiny.
