The Yorkton Yankees haven鈥檛 had to compete in the first round of the SESBL playoffs since 2014, getting a by for finishing first. They started this year鈥檚 playoff run off strong, with a decisive victory against the Grandview Lakers at Jubilee Park. The Yankees won 14-6.
Mark Jacobs with the Yankees said that while they had to shake off the rust, going into the game after a week off, they got it together quickly for a big win.
鈥淎 game with a few more runs I would have liked, but it was nice to see the bats going as they did.鈥�
Grandview started the game strong with a couple runs in the first, so Jacobs was happy to see a couple big innings to come back strong and establish a lead.
鈥淲e played pretty good fundamental baseball. There weren鈥檛 any major errors, there weren鈥檛 any terrible at bats, I thought we played pretty well.鈥�
Going into the playoffs, Jacobs hopes to keep the momentum going and continue playing good, fundamental baseball. The Yankees like taking the lead early and making the other team play catch-up, Jacobs said, and that鈥檚 going to be their focus on the playoff games.
鈥淭his time of year, wins mean a whole lot more than they do in the regular season.鈥�
Reflecting on the season as a whole, Jacobs notes they had a tough start, playing top teams early on.聽
鈥淎fter our first four or five games, we got more into things and started to play more like the Yankees have in the past. Overall, I think it was a successful regular season.鈥�
Beyond the playoffs, the team is also gearing up for provincials in the middle of August in Estevan.
鈥淧retty fun time of year, but a pretty intense time of year, too.鈥�
The second round of the playoffs in Grandview looked much the same as the first, with the Yankees taking the win with a score of 14-7, eliminating the Lakers from the playoffs. The Yankees will move on to face the Willowbrook Royals in the second round.
