The Western Major Baseball League (WMBL) Yorkton Cardinals got a rude introduction to the 2011 baseball season at the hands of the Regina Red Sox. Playing with less than their full roster, the Cardinals succumbed to Red Sox pitching and hitting during Yorkton's home opener at Jubilee Park as the Sox claimed an 11-5 win based mainly on their five run seventh inning.
Cardinals starter Ben Sollows pitched six and a third innings giving up nine hits, six runs, one base on balls and threw three strikeouts.
Robert Rivers who threw for an inning and two thirds in relief gave up five runs on six hits and a base on balls, had one strikeout.
Max McDonald closed holding the Red Sox off the scoreboard for the final inning.
Yorkton took an early lead in the game with a run in the home half of the third inning, adding a second run in the fourth. Falling behind 11-3 after eight and a half innings of play, the Cardinals rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth.
The Red Sox opened their scoring with a run at the top of the fourth, added three in the fifth to take over the lead, brought home a crushing five runs in the seventh and added a pair of runs in the eighth on the way to the 11-5 win.
Cardinals right fielder James Green, who had a pair of hits in three at bats, scored twice for Yorkton to earn the player of the game nod for the Cardinals.
Cardinals shortstop Daniel Harrison also crossed home plate twice to add a pair of runs for Yorkton while centre fielder Landon Briscoe added a run.
Following the opening game, an obviously disappointed head coach, Bill Sobkow, was impressed with the performance of his right fielder James Green. "We're going to have to have more guys play like James Green in order for us to be successful," Sobkow comments.
He points out the team was far from complete with 10 more players set to join the Cardinals. Team success will hinge on better play from the players already here and some good leadership from the new players coming into Yorkton, Sobkow suggests.
He admits that the addition of a female player, Ghazaleh Sailors, may appear to be a bit of an experiment, but he expects her to be a solid addition to the Cardinals line-up, nonetheless. "I think she can do a great deal in this league," he states.
The Cardinals will carry six players from the Dominican Republic, who are currently playing collegiate baseball in the U.S., on their roster. Sobkow says he didn't recruit them solely for their fielding ability. "I believe they're supposed to be fairly good hitters," he states. There are also three pitchers among the six, he points out.
Spanish is their first language, but Sobkow doesn't anticipate any language difficulty as Elfry Abad speaks good English and the others are quickly learning as well.
Sobkow is looking to establish a balanced team this season with hitting, pitching and fielding very balanced. "That's the way I tried to find the players this year," he says. As well he's looking to improve team aggressiveness by doing some running, he adds. Sobkow sees Green as a leader in the running department because of his speed and ability on the bases. "If we can get all those components working, we're going to be team to be reckoned with," he declares.
Sobkow lists the returning players as Green, Sollow, Richie Seaton, Jon Mihic, and Jake Bailey who will join the team mid-June.
Currently, Cardinals catcher Landon Briscoe, just starting out in college baseball, was recruited by Sobkow hoping he has a future with the Cardinals. "I would like to see him back for the next couple of years. He's a good baseball player but he's got lots to learn," Sobkow closes.
The Cardinals second game in the home and home series with the Regina Red Sox wasn't quite the game Cards' coach hoped for.
The Red Sox batters were relentless, pummeling the helpless Cardinals 22-2 starting with three runs in the first inning, adding 11 runs in the second inning and scoring a pair of runs in each of the fourth, sixth seventh and eighth innings. Red Sox pitchers held the Cardinals to just two runs as starter Shawn Wilyman claimed the win.
Losing pitcher Sean Gavin gave up 14 runs in one and two thirds innings on the mound. Macdonald gave up four runs while Robert Rivers and Sailors each gave up a pair of runs.
Green and Briscoe each scored for the Cardinals while Seaton earned a pair of RBIs.
Yorkton went into Weyburn Satur-day and Sunday for a two game weekend series where the Cardinals picked up their game with an 11-6 win in game one.
Winning pitcher, Cardinals starter Luis Lora gave up six hits for four earned runs, gave up two bases on balls and pitched three strikeouts.
The Cardinals took the lead with a four run third inning, adding four more in the fifth and one more in each of the sixth, seventh and ninth innings.
The Beavers replied with four runs in the sixth and added a pair of runs in the ninth inning.
Cardinals current batting leader Green had two hits, scored two runs and added an RBI on five trips to the plate.
Seaton, who had a pair of hits contributed two runs in five at bats.
Cardinals first baseman Ryan Meek claimed a pair of hits and scored twice.
Designated hitter Abad came home twice and added a pair of runs on four times at bat.
David Hole, Mihic and Kevin McLeod each scored a run in the 11-6 win in the first game.
The Yorkton Cardinals saw a four run eighth inning lead evaporate Sunday afternoon as the hometown Weyburn Beavers scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth to stage a 10-9 come from behind win.
Yorkton started the scoring with a run in the first inning and dominated the game until the wheels fell off the wagon in the home half of the last inning. The Cardinals scored once in the first and second innings, brought in three runs in the fourth, one each in five and six and two in the eighth for nine runs and an apparent win.
The Beavers, off to a slow start, tallied three runs in the third, adding one run in each of seven and eight to close the gap to four runs, an apparently insurmountable deficit. Weyburn, it seems, had another idea, rallying four five runs in the bottom of the ninth to claim the one run 10-9 win.
Green crossed home plate five times for five runs in the game.
Seaton added a run while Hole pounded out a three run homer to earn three RBIs and adding a run of his own.
Mihic and Briscoe each added a run.
Phil Sobkow, starter for the Cardinals, delivered the ball for three innings giving up three earned runs on four hits, three walks and striking out three batters.
Reliever Yesniel Henriquez worked for five and two thirds innings giving up six runs, five of them earned runs, and two walks.
Cardinals closer Rivers was credited with the loss.
The loss leaves the Cardinals in third place in the East Division with a record of one win and three losses.
Yorkton's next home game will be played under the lights at Jubilee Park Monday, June 13 when the Cardinals host the Saskatoon Yellowjackets.
