The Yorkton Cardinals had a week of positive signs and disappointments.
With three wins in five outings Yorkton climbs to 7-11, and third place in the Western Major Baseball League East Division, three games back of front-running Melville and half a game up on Weyburn. Regina sits second, one-game off the pace.
The local WMBL team started with a crisp 5-0 win over rival Melville at Jubilee Park in the city last Tuesday.
Yorkton then went on the road for four, although the final game of the swing scheduled for Saskatoon Saturday was postponed after bus trouble delayed the Cardinals arrival.
Yorkton had been in Saskatoon last Wednesday, and held a 4-2 lead after scoring one in the seventh and eighth innings.
The Yellow Jackets though would score in the home-half of the eighth, add another in the ninth, and tack on the winning run in the 10th to steal the victory from the visitors.
Shaniel Rivera started on the mound for Yorkton and went seven allowing only three hits and two earned runs while striking out five and walking five.
Matt Bowles was tagged with the loss based on 1.1 innings, giving up four hits and two runs, while striking out three.
The Cardinals were in Edmonton for action Thursday and Friday.
Thursday the game versus the Prospects was an offensive one with Yorkton trailing 9-7 going into the ninth inning where the Cards would rally for five runs for the 12-9 win.
Anthony Martinez started on the hill for Yorkton, going five innings giving up nine hits and three runs, all of the earned. He struck out five.
Aaron Dick got the win even though he gave up three hits and three earned runs in pitching the eighth inning.
Matt Chavarria earned the save pitching a scoreless ninth.
A night later against the Prospects, the team with the worst record in the league, the Cardinal bats went cold in a 9-2 loss.
George Santiago was the one bright spot offensively for Yorkton hitting a home run.
Jeff Pool would start and take the loss lasting only 3.1 innings for the Cardinals giving up nine hits and seven runs, all of them earned.
Sobkow said a split in Edmonton was something he was satisfied with, suggesting "Edmonton's got a good ball club They just haven't won many games."
Sunday the Cardinals were back on their home field to once again host Melville.
The Cardinals looked in control heading to the ninth with a 7-3 lead, only to see that lead evaporate as the Millionaires scored four.
In the home half of the ninth Yorkton would load the bases and score the 8-7 winner on a wild pitch.
Mike Meany and Chavarria both went deep for the Cardinals. Meany also had three runs batted in.
Bowles went seven as the Yorkton starter scattering six hits and allowing three runs, all of them earned.
Chavarria would get the win in relief pitching the ninth giving up a pair of runs in the effort.
Sobkow said the game got closer than the Cardinals may have wanted, but they also expected Melville to score some runs.
"We knew that Melville was going to score runs. They've got a helluva batting club," he said.
But the Cardinals found a way to win, and that was the key thing Sunday.
"It was a very important win for us," said Sobkow.
Up next
Yorkton was scheduled to play in Melville last night (Tuesday) but results were not available at press time.
Tonight the Cardinals are in Weyburn.
Thursday and Friday the Swift Current Indians visit Jubilee Park, with Weyburn rolling in for action Saturday, and Melville in for Canada Day action Monday.
To get some wins to climb closer to top spot in the Division Sobkow said his bullpen has to respond.
"You've got to be able to pitch," he said. " Our pitching has to step forward and hold us in."
Sobkow said offensively the Cardinals are better than they have been in recent years, with a team batting average in the .290 range.
"That's something we haven't been able to achieve for a few years," he said.
