The Alexander's Menswear Yorkton Junior Cardinals split their doubleheader over the weekend with the Regina league's defending champions, the Raymore Renegades.
Logan Calanchie went the distance in a 4-3 victory in the opening game while Travis Nesbitt had the 6-1 loss in game two.
Going into a game against the Regina Junior league's defending champions from last year might have been too much to expect back-to-back knockouts, but Yorkton did make it close.
Gary Lamb, co-coach of the Yorkton squad said he thought things went well enough in the opener that a win was in order but not so much in the rematch, he said.
"We played alright in the first game," he said candidly, "but had way too many errors in game two."Raymore went to work right off the bat in the opening inning, scoring three runs, to which Yorkton replied with one back in the third, scored by Calanchie.
Raymore added to their 3-1 lead with a single in both the fourth and fifth innings to put it away. They finished the game with eight hits and a couple errors.
Nesbitt faced 31 batters, struck out seven, walked one while pitching a complete game.
In the opener, a 4-3 Cardinals victory, Yorkton jumped out to a 4-0 lead, scoring once in the first and second innings, and twice in the third. Raymore answered back with two in the fourth, cutting the lead in half to 4-2.
They got a little closer in the fifth, but could not record the equalizer.
Calanchie also faced 31 Renegades batters, struck out eight, walked two and gave up six hits.Raymore committed one error in the first game while the Cards were charged with three.
"We still have a ways to go," advises Lamb who wasn't happy with the amount of infield errors his team was guilty of in the second game and the opener was as close as the score suggests.
"In the first game, we made it closer (then the score appears) and Logan (Calanchie) pitched a good game."
He said that despite a rough match in the rematch, he said it's good to be able to get some good quality playing time in now that the season is quickly approached the midway mark and fewer games are being cancelled or postponed due to weather.
"Now, it's just a matter of getting everybody out. It's just time and place."
He added that despite a five-run difference in the second game, pointed out that "the guys still had a good time today."
When asked what he thought of the Renegades' play Saturday: "They're the defending league champs from last year."
Lamb said Yorkton was scheduled to make a trip to Regina to play the only squad they have yet to play this season, but told the paper those games won't be played out, adding "they never travel out of Regina."
On July 11, Yorkton is slated to head west to play another Regina squad, the Athletics, at Optimist Park.
Yorkton's home season was scheduled to wrap up last night (July 13) when the Melville Bison were expected to come to Yorkton; then they'll head out on the road for a rematch at Pirie Field tonight at 7:30 p.m., before closing out the scheduled games with a match in Willowbrook on July 19.
