The Yorkton Cardinals are off to a rocky start in the Western Major Baseball League having allowed 49 runs in their first four games of the new season, and winning only once.
The lone win came Saturday in Weyburn, winning 11-6 over the hometown Beavers.
The Cardinals scored four in the third and never looked back, adding four in the fifth on the way to the win.
Luis Lora was the winner on the hill for Yorkton starting and going eight innings, giving up seven hits, and four runs, all of them earned.
Offensively, all nine Cardinal hitters had at least one hit, with Elfry Abad having a home run.
Sunday the Beavers got some pay back winning a 10-9 contest.
Yorkton actually led the game 9-5 going into Weyburn's home half of the last inning, where the Beavers plated five for the win.
Phil Sobkow started the game and went three before giving way to Yesniel Henriquez, who pitched into the ninth.
Robert Rivers would ultimately be tagged with the loss, giving up the final game-winning run.
James Green had a huge night for Yorkton scoring five runs, while David Hole had a home run and three RBIs.
Season opener
The Cardinal season opens last Tuesday, May 31, at Jubilee Park in Yorkton dropping an 11-5 decision.
Yorkton scored first, getting one in the third, but trailed 5-2 after five.
Ben Sollows, in his second season as a Cardinal, started on the mound and pitched into the seventh inning, allowing nine hits, and six runs, only four of them earned, in taking the loss. Green again had a big game scoring two runs on two hits and stealing a base.
Green said the season opener was "just one of those games," where things went badly for the Cardinals.
The Cardinals did have bases loaded with no one out early in the game, but couldn't plate a run.
"We had plenty of opportunities to capitalize," said Green, who added the team will need to find a way to get the key hits moving forward.
Green, who played in Melville last season, said he is looking forward to the opportunity to play in Yorkton, adding he knows he will need to be a leader.
"We've got a lot of young guys," he said, adding as a veteran, it is natural he will be looked at for leadership.
As a player Green said he knows he must use his speed to be effective. He said he just looks to make things happen, and stolen bases and speed are way to do that.
The loss was one which had Cardinal manager Bill Sobkow searching for reasons.
"I don't really know where to begin," he said, adding the team started off well but ended up squandering a lead.
It also made a good opening effort by Green go for naught.
"It's wonderful to have (James) Green in our line up," said Sobkow, adding the team needs to follow Green's lead in playing the game.
"We need to have many guys playing like James Green for us to be successful."
Friday the Cardinals were in Regina and took a serious drubbing at the hands of the Red Sox, losing 22-2.
The Cardinals actually scored first, getting a lone run in the top of the first, but it was short-lived.
Regina scored three in the home half of the first, adding 11 in the second, then adding runs in four more innings for the win.
Johnny Hay had a home run for the Cardinals.
Sean Gavin started on the mound for Yorkton, but did not make it through the second inning, allowing 14 runs on 10 hits, seven of them earned, and tossing six walks into the mix.
While the Cardinals have started slow, it may take a few games to jell as a team. The team was still expecting 10 players to arrive following the season opener, the last not landing in Yorkton until near mid-June.
When the roster is filled out it will have a different look this season with six players born in the Dominican Republic joining the Cardinals.
Sobkow said he has made a contact involved in getting Dominican players to the U.S., adding all six have been playing ball. Their VISAs do not allow them to easily return home in the summer, so they need a place to play summer ball.
Ghazaleh Sailors, a member of the U.S. Women's National Baseball Team in 2010, and a member of the San Marcos boys' high school team, also arrived after the opener, becoming the first female to play in the current WMBL.
The Cardinals also have a sprinkling of veterans with catcher Jake Bailey, pitchers Ben Sollows and Max McDonald and outfielder Richard Seaton back from the 2010 squad.
Once the Cardinals are all here, Sobkow said he hopes to have a solid all-around team.
"I believe it should be balanced, hitting, fielding and pitching," he said.
Up next
The Cardinals host three-in-a-row at Jubilee Park in the city this week, starting with Moose Jaw scheduled to play last night (Tuesday), although results were not available at presstime.
Tonight, (Wednesday), Melville visits, with Weyburn on Thursday.
Sunday the Cardinals go on the road to visit Melville before hosting Saskatoon Monday.
