While baseball season continues to wrap up all over the country, the Yorkton Alexander's Junior Cardinals had some unfinished business to tend to.
The Cardinals took their show on the road to Trois Rivieres, Quebec from August 20-22 for the 2010 Junior Canadian Baseball Championships.
The Cardinals advanced to the National championship after Raymore, the Provincial winners, declared that they were not going to be attending. This cleared the way for the Provincials runners-up, Yorkton, to represent Saskatchewan.
Playing on a larger stage than most of the players were accustomed to, the Cardinals dropped the first two games of the tournament by decisive scores; 7-0 to Manitoba (the eventual champions) and 13-0 to Quebec.
"The boys were maybe a little tentative," Head Coach Brian Trollope explains, "The first two games we just created too many errors, (that) was our major downfall."
Errors were the Achilles heel of the Cardinals, particularly in the Quebec game, as the team committed seven in a losing cause.
The third game of the championship for Yorkton was definitely worth the price of admission for the many in attendance.
The Cardinals and Team Nova Scotia played to a virtual standstill on the evening of the tournaments second day - with Nova Scotia eventually winning 4-3 in a remarkable 15 innings.
With a junior game normally scheduled to last seven innings, Trollope says that the extra inning marathon was a memorable one.
"It may have been the longest game in a Baseball Canada championship," he points out.
The loss did not dampen what was an outstanding effort by starting pitcher Logan Calanchie. Calanchie pitched an eye-popping 12 innings, surrendering only three runs on six hits.
Trollope wasn't surprised by his pitcher's endurance.
"If I'd asked him to go thirteen (innings), he'd have went thirteen," he laughs.
Ross Stilborn came on in relief for Calanchie and pitched two innings, allowing one run and striking out one batter.
To an outside observer, a marathon game ending in a loss might be considered to be demoralizing for the Yorktonites.
Not so, says Trollope. "To stay in a game that long and be that effective, you didn't really feel like you lost it in the end."
In fact, the following games included many bright spots for the Cardinals - including a 4-0 triumph over the squad from Newfoundland and Labrador.
Taylor Kjargaard picked up the win for the Cardinals in the game. Kjargaard threw an incredible complete game one-hitter, while also striking out four. Not to be outdone on offence, the Cardinals outhit Newfoundland on the day, 8-1.
The end of the road for the Cardinals came the following day with a 9-7 extra innings (only one this time) loss to New Brunswick.
Despite the 1-4 record, Trollope was upbeat about his team's play. Especially the game against Manitoba, where the score was not indicative of how tough Yorkton played the eventual champions.
"If we don't create as many errors as we do, we're right in it with them. But our offence wasn't clicking at that point at all either," Trollope details.
In fact, Trollope says, had a few bounces or breaks gone their way, the Junior Cards could have had a lot better showing.
"The next three games (following the 15-inning loss), we could've won any of them," he points out.
Results aside, the Head Coach characterized the experience as "fantastic" for himself and his players.
The chance to play at a 3000-person stadium, often with as many as 2000 spectators was one that was not lost on the Cardinal players.
"They're still talking about it," Trollope indicates.
With their eyes now shifting towards next season, Trollope says that a taste of Nationals has given his team some extra motivation heading into the offseason. Though nothing is guaranteed, the Junior Cardinals know now what it takes.
"You got to win the Province to be able to go but they are motivated to get back there, definitely," Trollope observes. Although next year's team won't be an exact replica of the 2010 squad, Trollope expects a good group of players to come in compete next year.
"We're going to lose a few players but we'll also have a good core coming back in of new players," Trollope says.
