UNITY — In an uphill battle throughout the regular season for Unity’s Junior Cardinals, the team brought it big when it counted most and won a one-game wild card elimination game on the road, playing the Lloydminster Twins.
This now completes the NSRBL playoff picture. Unity Jr. Cards will now face off against the North Battleford Beavers in a best-of-three quarter-final series, set to start the week of July 10, dates TBD.
Always full of positivity and enthusiasm, Cards coach, Dan Feser, says, “We went to Lloyd with some big bats. Garin Scherr threw an absolute gutsy gem, outdueling former Cardinal, Mick Sondergaard. We also played some solid defense, led by a resurgent Matthew Snell, who spun a critical double play in the seventh.”
Scherr pitched six and a third innings before handing the mound over to veteran, Zenon Orobko.
Other notable plays, as recounted by Coach Feser, “Carter Johnson gassed a runner at the plate in the fifth. Skyler Mackie drove in three, most with two strikes and two outs. Scherr scored three runs and stole three bags.”
“We did the little things right, productive outs and made the critical outs. The boys deserved some success, and I am really happy for them,” adds Feser.
Feser noted the team not only sees Orobko back in the lineup but following the loss of Easton McLean, the team has added Tylin Hillbig to the roster.
The Cards will continue finetuning their game for both the NSRBL playoff picture as well as upcoming 22U provincial championships, being held in Unity.
July 9-10, the Cards will play host to 22U teams from Calgary and North Battleford in double header action with both teams, as well as both visiting teams playing another double header set. The games will offer baseball to the already U19 provincial series taking place at the diamonds with the Unity Panthers competing for a provincial title and a Western Canadian championship berth on the line.
“It is the season of ball, the greatest season of them all. As a wise man once said, ‘It’s a beautiful day for baseball,” exclaims Feser.
The Jr. Cardinals will also host 22U provincial championships in a three-team event with North Battleford and Regina coming to town. That tournament will be held July 22-24 at the Cardinals diamond.
