The Carlyle Cardinals captured the Saskota Baseball League championship on their home field in Lions Park on Tuesday night, winning the best-of-three league final series in two straight games over the Estevan Wolves.
The game was close all the way, with the well-balanced Cardinals prevailing after a total team effort, winning 9-6 for the home fans who once again showed up to support the team. This was the first championship for the Cardinals since 2016.
The final was between the two teams with the best records in the regular season. The Estevan Wolves bested the Carlyle Cardinals for first place in the regular season when they had a home field victory against them in a late season matchup in league play. Both teams finished the season with 8-1-1 records.
Carlyle and Estevan both won a pair of best of three showdowns to start the playoffs, with neither team suffering a loss. Estevan disposed of their crosstown rivals, the Southeast Fireballs, along with the Oxbow Chiefs to make this year’s championship final. The Cardinals rode the arms of Kody Rock and Dan Rasmussen, sweeping last year’s champions the Carnduff Astros, getting complete game performances from both pitchers and timely hitting that was spread throughout the lineup, meaning a total team effort.
They also swept the Kipling Royals.
Carlyle won Game 1 6-1 Monday night in Estevan.
The next edition of the Mercury will have more on this story.
