The Yorkton Cardinals have started the 2015 Western Major Baseball League season with a pair of wins.
Making the start all the more sweet was having both wins coming over the Highway 10 rival Melville Millionaires.
鈥淚t really feels pretty good,鈥� said first year head coach Kameron Mizzell. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty big for us especially coming over Melville.鈥�
The first win came Friday as the Cardinals headed to Pirie Field in Melville.
The game was scoreless through five innings but the Mils would get to Cardinal starting pitcher Camran Bonnema scoring three runs.
Bonnema would leave after the inning having scattered five hits, giving up the three runs, all of them earned, and striking out five.
Yorkton would finally plate a run in the eighth, then add two in the ninth, sending the game to extra innings.
In the 11th the Cardinals would score twice, then hold the Mils off the board in the bottom of the frame for a 5-3 win.
Garrett Osterode would earn the win on the mound having tossed three scoreless innings in relief, striking out three and giving up the only walk allowed by Yorkton in the game.
By contrast, the Mils walked two to lead off the 11th, both scoring on a Michael Schofield single. He would have three RBIs on the night.
Sunday afternoon at Jubilee Park in Yorkton Codi Scanlon took the hill for Yorkton. He would give up a run in the first, then settle in to go six innings, allowing only four hits, the lone run, walking three and striking out nine for the eventual win.
Kody Rock in relief, showed some of the grit which seems to be part of the Cardinals this season, ending up with bases loaded then pitching his way out of the inning without allowing a run.
Mizzell said through two games the pitching has been strong.
The Cardinals on offence would score a pair in the second, add three in the sixth, and one in the eighth for the eventual 6-2 win.
Scholfield would have a second straight three RBI game, and would pitch a scoreless ninth in relief as well.
The Cardinals were getting key hits when men were in scoring position.
Mizzell said 鈥渨ith two outs鈥� he wants to see the team digging in and finding a way to score what are often going to be crucial runs through a long season.
Mizzell said the best part of the wins was that he saw a Cardinal team willing to get dirty diving for balls, working hard at every facet of the game.
鈥淭hese kids all played hard. They go after the ball 鈥� They like to get dirty,鈥� he said, adding in the brief time the team has been together that is something the coaching staff has focused on.
鈥淚t鈥檚 what we talk about; run hard, work hard, if you make a mistake keep your head up. If you keep working good things will happen.鈥�
Up next
The Cardinals were scheduled to play in Swift Current last night (Tuesday), but results were not available by press time.
Tonight Yorkton plays in Moose Jaw.
The same Miller Express will visit Yorkton Friday.
The Cardinals then play a home-and-home with Weyburn, travelling to face the Beavers Saturday, then hosting them at Jubilee Park Sunday for a 2:05 start.
