If the Yorkton Cardinals are hoping for a playoff berth, they need to start winning. Monday night was a start.
The Cardinals brought an end to their 10-game losing streak on Monday with a 9-5 win over the Weyburn Beavers.
The win moved the Cards into a tie with Weyburn for third-place in the East Division and the final playoff spot.
However, due to the Cardinals two rained-out games against Edmonton, they will end up playing fewer games than the?Beavers. Whoever claims the playoff spot will thus be determined by the highest winning percentage in games played.
Heading into the home stretch, the Cardinals and Beavers will tangle two more times (Wednesday and Thursday) to decide the race.
This past weekend for the Cardinals did not get off to the best of starts. The team hosted Melville on Friday for a doubleheader at Jubilee Park.
The Millionaires are currently in a fight of their own for first place in the division. They trail the Regina Red Sox by only a game-and-a-half.
The Mills took the first of the two seven-inning games, 3-1, in large part due to a strong game by pitcher Kane Kimrey (6-1).
Kimrey picked up the win by going five innings, allowing three hits and striking out three.
Yorkton countered with pitcher Max McDonald, who was tagged with the loss.
McDonald performed valiantly in the loss, pitching a complete game, five-hitter with two strikeouts.
Melville rode a strong defensive performance, along with runs in the first, second and seventh innings, to achieve the victory.
Richard Seaton brought home the only run for Yorkton while Nic Lindsay was one for two with a run scored.
The second-half of the doubleheader did not go as planned for the Cardinals either.?
Though it did start out well.
The Cardinals took a 5-1 lead after two-innings causing Melville to yank starting pitcher Ryan Crossingham. After that, Yorkton's good fortunes took a turn for the worse.
The Millionaires no-tched four runs in the visitors half of the inning, three more in the sixth and two in the seventh to secure the 10-6 victory.
This came despite being outhit by Yorkton, 11-8. The locals didn't exactly help their cause, however, committing three critical errors with the game in the balance.
Kenny Kissell started the game for Yorkton and went five innings, striking out seven and allowing three earned runs.
Pitcher Joie Dunyon (1-2) was saddled with the loss after coming on in relief in the sixth inning.
Richard Seaton had his second straight game with an RBI, going one for two and batting in two runs.
Brothers Duncan and Thomas McAlpine also pitched in for the Cards. Both players were two for four with an RBI.
After blowing such a considerable lead, the Cardinals were left reeling.
They had a chance to redeem themselves the next night with a date in Swift Current.
Unfortunately, Indians pitcher Brian Strawn was ready for them.
Strawn (3-0) powered his club to a 3-0 victory over the visitors, ?pitching eight strong innings and striking out ten.
Stuart Pudenz (2-4) took the loss for Yorkton. Pudenz lasted five innings, giving up three hits and striking out five.
The 227 patrons at Mitchell Field in Swift Current weren't exactly treated to an offensive showcase.
The Indians scored two runs in the second inning, creating a deficit that the Cardinals batters could not erase. Yorkton also stranded seven men on base.
The team remained in Swift Current for the rematch the next day.
Swift Current extended the Cardinals losing streak to 10 with an 8-2 victory.
Jason Oatman was the winning pitcher while Yorkton's Stephen Johnson (2-3)?took the loss. Johnson pitched five innings and gave up ten hits, striking out two batters.
The Indians blew open the relatively close game in the eighth inning with three runs.
The teams each had 12 hits. Unfortunately, Yor-k-ton could not convert their opportunities, stranding 11 baserunners in the process.
"We're just having trouble stringing together two hits here and there,"?Cardinals slugger Thomas McAlpine indicates.
David Kaplan and Bart Steponovich had the only RBIs for Yorkton. Duncan McAlpine also had a strong game for the Cardinals, going three for four with a run scored.
With their precarious hold on a playoff spot completely slipping away, the Cardinals welcomed the Weyburn Beavers into town on Monday for the aforementioned critical matchup.
This time, the Cardinals batters came to play.
Thomas McAlpine had five RBIs on the night while Tanner Waite had a perfect outing at the plate, going four for four.
Reflecting on his solid outing, McAlpine says that his focus was the key to a great night at the plate.
"I was just seeing the ball a lot better," he recalls.
For his part, McAlpine says that the team's focus is solely on one goal, a playoff spot.
While he does have a lot of respect for the Beavers, McAlpine points out that his team has complete confidence heading into the final few games.
"We know we can beat Weyburn," McAlpine says. ?
The Cardinals sent Jeff Chase to the mound and he submitted a strong showing in the 9-5 victory.
Chase struck out nine batters in seven innings and allowed only five hits.
Chase's fellow assistant coach/pitcher, Jordan Herbison, pitched the final two innings and sealed the victory.
"It was nice to break that losing streak,"?Herbison states.
With the 10-game losing streak over, Herbison knows that the team cannot dwell on anything that's happened in the past, good or bad."Even though we won tonight, it's the same thing as if we would've lost. You've got to put it behind you and focus on the next game."
As the playoffs start to loom, the Cards know that they can hardly afford any more setbacks.
Herbison says that the team is approaching every game now with a playoff mentality. ?
"I would say that we're in the playoffs right now and we just won game one."
