The Yorkton Cardinals struggled through another week in the Western Major Baseball League (WMBL) and are going to finish in the cellar of the East Division.
The Cardinals have a record of 13-25, for a .342 winning percentage, leaving them 16 games behind Division-leading Regina, and 2.5 back of Weyburn who hold down third place, the final playoff slot.
Melville is second in the East 9.5 games off the pace.
Okotoks visits
The Okotoks Dawgs were in Yorkton for a pair of games Sunday and Monday.
Okotoks took a 2-0 lead in the first inning Sunday, only to have the Cardinals tie the game in the home half of the second.
Yorkton scored one in the sixth for a 3-2 lead, but the Dawgs tied it with a run in the seventh, then added two in the eighth and one in the ninth for a 6-3 win.
Sean Gavin took the loss as the Cardinal starter going 7.2 innings, allowing eight hits, and giving up four runs, two of those earned, while striking out eight.
On Monday, the results were no better for the host team as the Dawgs rolled to a 10-4 win, including three in the ninth inning, including a rare home run at Jubilee Park.
James Green did swipe his 32nd stolen base, and added a double for the Cardinals.
Trevor Daggon started on the mound for Yorkton and took the loss after pitching 3.1 innings over which he allowed nine hits, and seven runs, all of them earned.
Cardinal Assistant Coach Jared Franklin said the same problems the team has faced all season continued to plague the team against Okotoks.
"All year long we haven't had a lot of extra base hits," he said. "We get guys on base but can't get them around."
Franklin said the Cardinals also ended up a bit thin on the bench with only 17 players.
"We were just short a few players to make a run," he said, adding the team still saw improvement, going 4-15 to start the season and 9-10 over the last 19.
"There was tremendous improvement in the second half," he said.
A road split
The Cardinals were in Moose Jaw Thursday scoring twice in the first inning.
The Miller Express cut the lead in half with a run in the home-half of the first, then taking the lead with two in the second.
A trio of Cardinal runs gave Yorkton a 5-3 lead in the third, only to have Moose Jaw score two in their half of the third to knot the game 5-5.
Yorkton managed a run in the fourth to reassert a lead, only to have Moose Jaw score four in the fourth to take a 9-6 lead, and eventually an 11-7 win.
Yorkton's Green continued his assault on the WMBL steal record swiping a pair to hit 31.
Jon Mihic had three hits, including a home run, and two RBIs.
Luis Lora started and lasted only three innings giving up seven hits, and seven runs, five of those earned to be tagged with the loss.
On Friday, Yorkton was able to register a win in Regina, using a six-run fourth inning, and adding a pair in the fifth for an eventual 8-7 win, in a match that saw the Red Sox score three runs in the ninth inning.
Kevin McLeod had a big night at the dish for Yorkton with a double, triple and two RBIs.
N.D. Gonzalez had the win on the mound for Yorkton, starting and going six innings. He allowed only two hits and three runs, two of those earned while striking out nine.
Swift Current losses
The Central Division-leading Swift Current Indians were in Yorkton for action last Tuesday and Wednesday, winning both contests at Jubilee Park.
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On Tuesday, Yorkton took a 2-0 lead in the home half of the first inning, then watched as the Indians scored two runs in each of the fourth, fifth, sixth and ninth inning for an 8-2 win.
Sean Gavin started and took the loss after pitching 5.1 innings and giving up nine hits, and six runs, all of them earned.
A night later (July 20), the Indians scored twice in the top-half of the first inning, and never relinquished the lead, winning by a 8-4 count.
Yesniel Henriquez was the Cardinal starter taking the loss after tossing 5.1 innings and giving up seven hits, and seven runs, all of them earned.
Up next
The Cardinals have only two games remaining in the WMBL season.
Tonight, (Wednesday), the Cardinals host Regina for the final home game at Jubilee Park for 2011.
Yorkton winds up action in Weyburn Thursday.
While the games won't help the Cardinals find a playoff spot, Franklin said the team still has something to prove. He said the 2010 Cardinals only managed 13 wins, so they want to better that mark.
"We want to play hard for some pride and self respect," he said.
