It was a tough week for the Yorkton Cardinals. The club lost four of five games last week, including four in a row, to fall to 11-17 on the season.
The urgency created by the losing streak was compounded with a Monday night loss, 4-2, to the Weyburn Beavers.
With Weyburn's victory, they are now within a game of the Cardinals for third-place in the East Division.
Despite the bleak finish, the week actually did get off to good start for the Cards.
In a meeting with the powerful Swift Current Indians at Jubilee Park last Thursday, it was Yorkton who came out on top, 4-3.
Stephen Johnson, always steady in his starting role, picked up the win after pitching six innings of two-hit ball while striking out six.
The Cardinals Kenny Kissell pitched the ninth inning and struck out two to record the save.
Thomas McAlpine lead the way offensively for Yorkton, going two for three with two hits off of Swift Current's Dan Rogers.
The Medicine Hat Mavericks paid a visit to Jubilee Park the following day.
The Cardinals sent pitcher Jeff Chase to the mound while the Mavs countered with Mark?Larini.
The game was scoreless for eight innings before Medicine Hat finally recorded a run in the top of the ninth for the victory.
As Chase, an assistant coach and pitcher, points out, a close loss like this one is tough to swallow.
"It's always tough to lose a game when you get shutout, it's tough to lose a game at home (and) it's tough to lose a one-run ball game so, I guess, in a few ways it's tough (to handle)," Chase says.
The Mavericks outhit Yorkton 7-4 and scored a win for their pitcher, Larini.
Duncan McAlpine took the loss for Yorkton.?McAlpine came on in relief for the ninth inning and surrendered the go-ahead run.
In reference to putting McAlpine in for the ninth, Chase explains, "We put in a guy who hadn't given up a run all year so we were feeling pretty good over there. You know, ?the balls don't bounce your way some days and some days they do."?
There were few highlights offensively for the Cardinals, though both David?Kaplan and Preston Lyon had doubles.
The loss put a damper on what was a solid performance by Chase. The Cardinals starter pitched six innings, allowed five hits and struck out eleven through six scoreless innings.
However, Chase was not dwelling on his solid start.
"At the end of the day, we didn't win the game so I guess that's the most important thing," he laments. ?
In an unusual scheduling quirk, the Cardinals then left the Medicine Hat Mavericks in town while they traveled to Moose Jaw for a Saturday-night showdown.
The Mavericks stayed in Yorkton to prepare for their Sunday game at Jubilee Park.
Unfortunately, not even a date with the last-place Miller Express could calm the Cardinals woes.
Express pitcher Arturo Maltos-Garcia grabbed the win for Moose Jaw as they rolled over Yorkton 9-4.
The Cards Max McDonald, who had been riding a hot streak of late, was credited with the loss.
McDonald pitched six innings allowed eight hits and four earned runs. He also struck out six Moose Jaw batters.
The highlight of the night for Yorkton was a home-run by Nic Lindsay, his first of the season.
David Kaplan also pitched in, going two for four with two hits and his 20th RBI of the season.
Although the game totals did not reflect favorably on the Cards, they did actually hold the lead, 2-0, before surrendering four runs in the sixth inning, two runs in the seventh and another three in the eighth.
Moose Jaw had 13 hits compared to five for Yorkton who also committed three errors.
With the Mavericks waiting for them, the Cardinals returned home Sunday for the rematch.
Cardinal Kenny Kissell got the start and went five innings without surrendering an earned run, striking out five.
The solid effort wasn't enough, however, as the Mavericks came out on top, again, 4-1.
Mavs starter Nathan Gonzalez cruised to victory on the strength of ten strikeouts.
Preston Lyon was had two hits and a double on the night while Tanner Waite had the only RBI for the Cards.
Monday night saw the Weyburn Beavers come to town in a critical divisional matchup.
As indicated above, the Beavers 4-2 victory brought them within striking distance of the final playoff spot in the East Division.
Stuart Pudenz was the losing pitcher for the Cardinals.?Pudenz struck out nine batters but also allowed three earned runs on nine hits.
The Beavers took the lead on the strength of a three-run fourth inning.
As assistant coach and pitcher Jordan Herbison tells it, allowing one bad inning has been a problem for the Cardinals.
"That's kind of been the story all year, we've had one bad inning (at) the start of the games that we've lost," he says. ?
The Cardinals did have chances to get back in the game with men on base in the seventh and eighth innings but could not convert their opportunities.
Herbison couldn't agree more.
"I think it was five innings we had the lead-off guy on base and we couldn't bring in him around to score which is frustrating... We just couldn't string the hits together today."?
Both Duncan McAlpine and Ryan Saunders had solid nights at the plate for Yorkton. McAlpine was three for four with three hits and an RBI while Saunders was three for three and also had three hits.
With Weyburn closing in and the Regina Red Sox and Melville Millionaires pulling away, assistant coach Chase insists that the Cardinals focus is still on the team's above them.
"There's plenty of baseball to be played and we play Melville and Regina a bunch, so when you beat one of those teams that adds a loss for them and a win for us," he details, "So in a sense that's like two games, so it's anybody's ball game still. I still feel like if we start swinging the sticks well and keep on it then we have as good a shot as anybody to come out of this deal."
