ESTEVAN -
For the third consecutive year, the Carlyle Cardinals are the Saskota Baseball League champions.
The Cardinals defeated the Oxbow Chiefs 14-4 in five innings Sunday in Estevan to win the Harbourne Memorial Tournament, which crowns the Saskota champions each season.
Earlier in the day, the Cardinals defeated the host Estevan Tap House Wolves 8-7 in extra innings to make it to the final. Estevan was up 7-2 at one point in the fifth inning, but the Cardinals notched five runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game.
Neither team scored again until the Cardinals added the winning run with a double in the eighth inning.
Cardinals’ coach Daniel Rasmussen said their success usually starts with pitching and defence, and this year was no different. Carlyle had the best record in the regular season at 14-1-1, and they were five games better than the next-closest team, the Estevan-based Southeast Diamondbacks. Carlyle also went 5-0 at the Harbourne.
“We’ve pitched and played really good defence all year round, and that followed through to this weekend. Our pitchers did a great job during … the Friday night game and the two Saturday games, and yesterday (Sunday) as well. Our pitching and our defence really kept us in it, and gave us a chance to do the work that needed to get done.”
They also hit the ball very well this year, and averaged more than 10 runs per game in the playoffs.
In the final, the Cardinals gave up four runs in the second inning to trail 4-0, but then scored six in the bottom half of the frame, and added to the lead until the mercy rule was needed.
“I don’t think you really expect the final to go that way,” Rasmussen said.
When they find themselves facing adversity, experience is a tremendous asset, Rasmussen said.
“A few of us older guys who have been playing for a while, we’ve been in that situation quite a bit, and we know if there’s any innings left in the game, there’s always a chance, so you have to stick with it.”
He believes seven or eight players on the Cardinals have been part of all three championships.
“This year’s team and last year’s team are basically the exact same. We had a couple of new guys, a couple younger guys … so we did have a couple more players this year,” said Rasmussen.
The Harbourne Tournament was held in Estevan this year for the first time in more than a decade. It was previously held annually in Kenosee Lake.
Rasmussen praised the Wolves for taking over managing and running the weekend, and doing a great job.
“The facility was awesome. There was lots going on. You could have two games going on at the same time to not be in a time crunch for the weekend, so that was really nice,” he said.
The Harbourne has always been a lot of fun when it’s been held at Kenosee, but Estevan has wanted it for a while and they showed they can host the event.
Estevan also has a lot of amenities, and Rasmussen expects it will be a league discussion on where the tournament will be next.
The host Wolves went 1-3, winning against the Redvers A’s but losing to the Fireballs and the Carnduff Astros in the round robin. Estevan made the playoffs on a tie-breaker, and nearly ended the Cardinals reign atop the league.
The Fireballs, meanwhile, went 1-2 as well, beating Estevan but losing to Redvers and Carnduff.
Carnduff went 3-0 in the round robin to finish atop their pool, but lost to Oxbow in the semifinals.
The opening games of the tournament were held Friday in Carlyle, Estevan, Carnduff and Oxbow - the communities of the top four teams during the regular season. All games Saturday and Sunday were at Lynn Prime Park in Estevan.
The Kipling Royals and the Arcola Threshers were also entered in the tournament. The Kenosee Cubs didn’t qualify this year.
