The Yorkton Cardinals had won four straight road games in the Western Major Baseball League before hosting Melville Monday at Jubilee Park.
The Millionaires would end the streak with a 6-1 win, leaving Yorkton with a 10-12 record on the season. The Cardinals are in third place in the WMBL East Division, five games back of Regina, and 4.5 behind Melville.
In Monday's game Jordan Herbison started in the mound for Yorkton pitching six complete, giving up all six runs, five of those earned, while giving up nine hits.
The big hit was a three-run homer just right of the 400-foot sign in centrefield by shortstop Casey Justice, which doubled the Mills lead.
The Cardinals would get little accomplished against Melville starter Derek Howell who allowed only two hits in eight innings of work, while striking out 16.
Yorkton's lone run came in the ninth off reliever Corey Sartor.
Melville head coach Bill Sobkow said they ran into a hot pitcher Monday."Their pitcher (Howell), you have to credit him."
Sobkow said Howell has really owned Cardinal batters this season, pitching a 1-0 shut out against Yorkton earlier this season, and then dominating Monday.
"It was just good pitching by the opposition," he said.
At the same time, the Cardinals had some bad luck in the game with a Melville runner, getting a hit off Herbison's leg, and another batter reaching on a bad hop at shortstop.
The sun caused an error on a put out throw to first base which also led to two Mills runs, noted Sobkow.As for his starting pitcher's performance, Sobkow said they may have erred in keeping him in the game as long as they did, noting after five innings, he had totalled 99 pitches, and by the end of six was at 117.
"We have an excellent core of pitchers, but we have to use those pitchers better," he said.
Sobkow said at times he feels the coaching staff have left starters in games too long, when they have a solid bullpen to draw on.
The teams met Sunday too. In the Melville half of the home-and-home set with the Cardinals did not prove very hospitable for the hosts, as Yorkton scored five in the first inning, then rolled to a 13-2 win.Max McDonald started for the Cardinals. The leftie would toss seven innings allowing the two runs on six hits.
Sean Ayala took the loss for the Mills, after lasting only 1.1 in which he allowed nine runs, seven of those earned, on eight hits.
Offensively, leftfielder Jake Bailey had three hits and two RBIs, on a night whee eight Cardinals recorded hits and seven had runs-batted-in.
Saskatoon doubleheader
The Cardinals played a pair of games at Cairns Field in Saskatoon Saturday, taking both ends of the doubleheader.
In the afternoon game, a seven-inning affair Stephen Johnson spun a complete game gem on the mound for Yorkton. The right scattered five hits, allowing the Yellowjackets one unearned run. He mixed in eight strikeouts, as he evened his season record at 1-1 with a 1.73 ERA. Yorkton committed four errors in the game.
On offence Cardinal centrefielder Richard Seaton drive in all three Yorkton runs with a bases loaded double in the second inning.
In the night half of the double bill, veteran Jeff Chase started he game going six and earning the win to raise his record to 3-2. He allowed six hits, and six runs, three of those earned, while also striking out six. He survived seven errors committed by his Cardinal teammatesDavid Kaplan had a big night at the plate for Yorkton driving in four on three hits.
"As far as Saskatoon we got timely hitting," said Sobkow. " Timely hitting was why we were very successful.
"And, the starting pitching was very good."
