With only six days left in the 2018 season for the Yorkton Cardinals sit last in the Western Mayor Baseball League East Division with a 10-30 record, 21-games back of front-running Weyburn.
Cardinal coach John Farrington said it has not been the season the team had hoped for only a few short weeks ago.
But the team started the season short-staffed, and with only 14 players didn鈥檛 get off to a good start through the opening 10 or 11 games.
鈥淭hings didn鈥檛 work out from day one,鈥� said Farrington, adding had he had the roster he has to end the season, 鈥渁nd a few more breaks, it could be a different summer.鈥�
But Farrington added the WMBL is not a particularly forgiving league.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a grind, a lot of games in a lot of days,鈥� he said.
In the end the Cardinals just never put enough wins together.
This past week was an example of the grind. After six straight road losses the Yorkton Cardinals returned to Jubilee Park for action last Wednesday.
The visitors were the Western Major Baseball League鈥檚 East Division-leading Weyburn Beavers, who quickly showed why they are the best in the east scoring runs in each of the first four innings to lead 8-0.
The Beavers would add six in the eighth for a 14-0 lead, before the Cardinals finally scored a single run in their half of the eighth in a 14-1 loss.
Wryland McKnight started on the hill for Yorkton taking the loss after 3.2 innings of work where he gave up 11 hits and eight runs, seven of those earned.
The same teams were at it again Thursday at Jubilee Park. The game was closer, but the winner and loser were the same.
This time the Beavers took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, then went up 3-0 with two in the seventh.
The Cardinals responded with a single run in the home half of the seventh.
Weyburn added a fourth run in the eighth to round out a 4-1 victory.
Owen Steele started on the hill for Yorkton going seven innings, allowing 10 hits and four runs, but only two of those earned. He was tagged with the loss.
Friday the Cardinals were again on their home diamond hosting Moose Jaw.
Yorkton plated a single run in the first inning, and held the one-run lead until the Miller Express scored one in the fifth to tie the contest.
Moose Jaw pulled ahead with a run in the sixth, then added seven in the seventh for a 9-1 lead.
The Cardinals managed to respond with two in the home-half of the seventh to make in 9-3, which would be the final score in the game.
Logan MacDougal started, and took the loss for Yorkton pitching six innings, and scattering nine hits, and allowing two runs, both of those earned.
First baseman Dillon Champagne hit a home run for the home side, his fourth of the season.
Saturday the Cardinals headed south on Highway #10 for a doubleheader in Melville.
And in game one a long Cardinal losing streak came to an end as Yorkton won for the first time in ten games.
But the win did not come easily as the host Millionaires scored three in the home-half of the first inning, then did the same thing in the third to lead 6-0 early.
The Cardinals then plated three in the fourth, and three in the fifth to knot the scores at sixes.
Yorkton added one in the sixth to lead 7-6, only to see that lead evaporate as the Mills scored three in the bottom of the sixth to regain a 9-7 lead.
But the Cardinals were not to be denied plating three in the seventh, the final inning in a doubleheader game, for a 10-9 win.
Three home runs were launched in the contest, Logan Zozaya going yard for the Cardinals, his first of the season, while Justin Braziel and Edarian Williams went deep for the Mills.
Matt Zanutto was the winning pitcher for Yorkton based on 1.1 inning of relief work. Joey Walls took the loss for Melville, in relief as well.
Pirie Field proved to the liking of the Cardinals in game two as well. Yorkton scored one in the third, added four in the fourth, and two in the fifth on their way to a 7-2 win.
Parker Hubbard was the winning pitcher for Yorkton tossing five innings as the starter, while starter Zach Diaz took the loss for Melville tossing four innings.
The teams would meet again Sunday afternoon at Jubilee Park in Yorkton.
The teams traded single runs in the second, then Melville added three in the third to take a lead they held throughout with the game ending 10-4 for the visitors.
Chris Cook took the loss on the mound for Yorkton, while Ricky Hockett earned the win for the Mills.
Coach Farrington said the three games against Melville in two days showed how the game can change overnight.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of how baseball goes, you can be good one day and the opposite the next,鈥� he said.
Up next
The WMBL league season will wind up this week for the last place Cardinals who will miss the playoffs.
Tonight, (Wednesday), the Cardinals host Moose Jaw.
Thursday Regina will visit for a doubleheader Thursday, starting at 6:05 p.m.
Friday Yorkton heads to Swift Current for action, where they will also play the 57s Saturday and Sunday.
