UNITY — The Unity Senior Cardinals men’s team faced the Lloydminster Twins in the first round of playoffs in the North Saskatchewan River Baseball League. The Cards squeaked out an 8-7 win in game one, at home July 11, and seized control in game two July 12 winning 20-8 on the road to sweep the best-of-three series.
Game one gave the hometown fans an exciting evening of baseball with the lead in the game changing several times, some controversial umping calls, relief pitchers on both teams being hit by line drives and Cards’ catcher Braden Polreis having his pants torn by a sliding opposing player, resulting in a timeout in the middle of the top of the fifth so he could change.
The Cards went into the bottom of the fifth down two runs. Skylar Mackie, Garin Scherr and Cory Wildeman all managed to make it home safely to make the score 8-7.
Neither team scored in the sixth, and the Cardinals were able to hold off the Twins in the top of the seventh, making their last bats unnecessary.
Cory Wildeman and Easton McLean were the Cards’ pitchers in the game.
Then it was up to relief pitcher Easton McLean and the fielding team to keep the Twins from scoring in the sixth and seventh, which they did.
Cardinals’ player-manager Cory Wildeman described game two as “a marathon.” He said, “We were up 9-5 after the second inning and continued to pour it on.
In the other NSRBL first-round matchups, the Meadow Lake Sox also won their series against the Mervin Flyers in two straight games, while the Glaslyn Orioles and North Battleford Beavers will have to go the distance with their third and final game Monday, July 17, in North Battleford.
Depending on the outcome of the North Battleford/Glaslyn series, Unity will meet either Meadow Lake Sox or first-place Standard Hill Lakers in the semifinals.
Wildeman said, “Round two can’t come soon enough. The bats have woken up and spots 1-9 contributed equally in the first round. The guys are excited to get back on the diamond next week.”
