It took a third and deciding game that ran well beyond the average running time of a senior baseball games but after falling behind in the series, the Yorkton Yankees came back and applied the tomahawk chop to the visiting Langenburg Indians at Jubilee Park Monday night.
Total running time was close to three hours.
The first two game of the series were close but the third wasn't anywhere near as Yorkton bats lit up the Indians early in the contest and wound up with an 18-9 win. They forced starting pitcher Jeremy Dyke off the mound in less than two innings and shelled him for eight runs off eight hits.
On the Yorkton side of things, Matt Poier lasted four innings, gave up eight of the nine runs scored, allowed seven hits but said it was good to get the win and that is what mattered most to him. The teams combined to use six pitchers.
"Feels good," he said, adding that he is "ready for another game."
I felt I was there all night. They swing the bats alright," he noticed.
"There's no easy outs with them."
He was given the ball to start the third and deciding game. The winner advances to the SESBL finals slated to begin sometime next week against the Willowbrook Royals.
"I wanted to make a quality start and the offence pulls through," he said of the 18 runs the team racked up. Poier also cashed in an RBI, went 1-4 at the plate and also managed a stolen base.
Offensively, Luke Boechler and Mackenzie Unyi crossed home plate three times each, supplying 1/3 of the Yankees' offence. Each added a stolen base to their stats.
Logan Calanchie was called on to add the finisher's touch to the game, pitching the final inning and allowing one hit. He went 4-5 at home plate, hit a double, scored twice and also stole a base.
Dave Morari was the only other Yankee to score twice, going 2-3 at home plate, including a double.
Other scoring came from Jayden Shwaga, Jeremy Johnson, Derek Kohut, Derek Marshall, Kurt Karcha, Curtis Chupa and Mark Jacobs, each provided one run and combined for 10 RBIs; Kohut had three RBIs.
For the Indians, Tyler Hartung stood out at the plate, getting on base twice in four at-bats, scored three times and stole three bases.
Kody Hartung was 3-4 at home plate and provided two runs.
SESBL TITLE
The league title will see the Yankees and Royals get together for what will be the third straight year. Yorkton won last year under the Junior Cardinals name, taking the title in three games. Format will likely be a best-of-3 getting started sometime next week.
