The Unity Junior Cardinals beat the Border City Blue Jays 7-2 on July 21, at Unity, Saskatchewan, for their first and, so far, only win of the season. The North Saskatchewan River Baseball League shortened regular season ends Tuesday, August, 4, with the Junior Cardinals taking on the Cardinals at the Cardinal diamond in Unity. Both hometown teams would undoubtedly enjoy having a cheering section!
Below are scenes from the Juniors’ win over the Blue Jays.
Teams inducted into the Unity Sports Wall of Fame May 9, 2015 were:
2007 Peewee Panthers, Provincial C Northern Softball Champions
2009 Senior Cardinals, Provincial A2 Baseball Champions
2011 Peewee Lazers, Provincial B Hockey Champions
2011 Squirt Panthers, Provincial C Northern Softball Champions
2012 Bantam Panthers, Provincial C Softball Champions
2012 Mosquito Cardinals, Provincial A Baseball Champions
2012 Peewee Cardinals, Provincial A2 Baseball Champions
2012 Peewee Panthers, Provincial C Softball Champions
2012 Senior Women’s Provincial Curling Champions
2012 UK Royals, Junior B Provincial Softball Champions, Western Canadian Gold Medallists
2013 Midget Lazers, Provincial A Hockey Champions
2013 Peewee Cardinals, Provincial A Baseball Champions
2013 Senior Cardinals, Provincial A2 Baseball Champions
2013 UK Royals, Junior B Provincial Softball Champions
2014 Mosquito Cardinals, Provincial A2 Baseball Champions
2014 Peewee Cardinals, Provincial AA Baseball Champions
2014 Peewee Panthers,, Provincial B Northern Softball Champions
2014 Squirt Panthers, Provincial B Softball Champions
2014 UK Royals, Junior B Provincial Softball Champions, Western Canadian Silver Medallists
Look for photos of individuals inducted in the Unity Sports Wall of Fame in 2015 later this week. For a complete story on the Wall of Fame and the 2015 inductions , see the May 18th issue of the Unity Wilkie Press-Herald.
With a significant summer storm hitting Saskatchewan at Luseland, Unity and areas July 17, next week’s issue of the Unity Wilkie Press-Herald has a full-length article and plenty of photo coverage on damage done. Not covered in the article is that some rural homes south of Unity did not have power restored until close to noon July 18. In the Town of Unity itself power was out from sometime after 4 pm until 1 am in the morning.
Along with storm coverage, you will find:
Enjoy and be informed!
With another storm threatening July 23, the fence line at the Cardinals’ home playoff game was unusually empty as can be seen in this photo of Francis Kiefer on the pitcher’s mound.
With the Unity Cardinals ahead 3-2, a very happy Cory Wildeman ran in after catching a fly to left field, making the third out in the final inning of the final game of the 2013 Saskatchewan Men’s Senior A2 Provincial Championships.
After losing 10-9 to the Bruno Bisons earlier in the day, the Cardinals came back to win the second game of the two-game final, giving them the senior men’s 2A provincial title.
Cory not only made the last play of the game, he started the game off by being the first one up to bat, hitting a single. After he stole second base, a Justin D’Entremont hit to centre field brought him home to score the first run of the game.
Neither team was able to do much with the bats in the next few innings and the score was still 1-0 for Unity, going into the top of the sixth.
Justin was first up and hit a double, then scored when Ryan Greenwald also hit a double. Ryan (“Wheels”) raced home on a single from Regan L’Heureux, to make the score 3-0.
With two out in the bottom of the sixth, Bruno’s Josh Kerpan hit a double and was brought home on a single by Kyle Sibley. With a potential tying run at the plate, Cardinal pitcher Taylor Heck struck out Curtis Sibley to finish the inning with the score 3-1 for Unity.
A change in pitchers for Bruno brought catcher Cody Thiel to the mound and the Cardinals were unable to get on base in the top of the seventh.
Taylor Heck, pitcher for the Unity Cardinals, was recognized as game MVP when the awards were handed out after the game.
Taylor Heck had pitched the entire first six innings, as well as the final inning of the game earlier in the day. After the Brunos got two players on base, Ben Gieni was called in to relieve Taylor, who was ultimately named the game MVP.
Thiel scored for Bruno, making the score 3-2. The Bisons loaded the bases and Cameron Weiman hit to left field where Cory caught the ball, getting the third out and ending the game. The score stayed at 3-2, giving Unity the win and the provincial championship
Members of both teams were presented with individual plaques to recognize their accomplishments and, of course, the Cardinals get to show off the large championship plaque unitl this time next year.
Congratulations, boys, on your win and competitive ball playing!
It took 10 innings but eventually Unity emerged the victor in game 5 of the 2013 Senior A2 Baseball Provincial Championship Tournament. The win moved Unity into Sunday’s final, while the Carnduff Astros only had a short rest before playing the Bruno Bisons to determine who else would be in the final.
Keith Heitt slides towards home plate to score for the Unity Cardinals. Carnduff Astros’ Devon Carriere did get the ball right after this photo was taken, and made the tag but not in time.
The Unity Cardinals were trailing 3-2 at the end of the fifth. Whether it was struggling pitchers or hot batters, the sixth inning saw both teams have their entire rotation up to bat. The Astros scored four and Unity five, to end the sixth inning tied at 8-all.
Tightening down defensively, each team only saw four at bats in the seventh inning, with no runs scored by either team, leaving the game tied at 8-8 and going into extra innings.
Cardinal Justin D’Entremont scored early on an RBI by Taylor Heck (who went to the pitcher’s mound in inning six and stayed there for the rest of the game). Then, with two out and the bases loaded, the hometown crowd was hopeful for a bigger lead but Mark Ralston’s hit to centre field was caught by the Astros’ Danny Pool, ending the top of the eighth.
Devon Carriere, first up for Carnduff, got on base and with some aggressive baserunning, stole his way to third. He was able to score on an RBI by Danny Pool, tying the game once again. Danny didn’t get on base and with two out, Jason Boyes hit a foulball caught by Unity first baseman Mark Ralston to end the first extra inning.
Taylor Heck closed the game for the Unity Cardinals, pitching four and a half (approx.)innings, including the three extra innings.
Neither team was able to score in the ninth inning, both teams seeing “three up, three down.”
With Carnduff’s pitchers tiring, Unity was able to score four runs (Justin D’Entremont, Taylor Heck, Ben Gieni and Mark Ralston) in the 10th inning, but Carnduff still had last bat advantage.
Danny Pool had another RBI early in the bottom of the 10th, bringing home Adam Wilson. Danny’s hit was caught by Cardinal centre fielder Ryan Greenwald, making it two out but Carnduff still had two other runners on base. Jason Boyes was next up to bat and hit a single, bringing home Devon Carriere. The tying run was now on base but Carnduff’s last batter, Justin Crockatt left the runners stranded, ending the inning and the game at 13-11 for Unity.
Unity’s Cory Wildeman was game MVP.
Throughout the game, the sun made catching balls in field a little challenging at times, although Carnduff seemed to struggle with it more than Unity.
Unity’s Ryan Greenwald is at bat, with Colin Pylypow catching for the Rosetown Angels and Adolph Fischer umping at the plate.
A close call at first base, with Keith Heitt the baserunner for the Unity Cardinals and Ryan Wickett first baseman for the Rosetown Angels.
Spectators and players enjoyed the summer late afternoon, both before and after the game. One spectator described the day as perfect, “not too hot and not too cold.”
Unity hosted the Peewee 2A Provincial Championships July 19, 20 and 21, while the Peewee A1 Cardinals travelled to Martensville and the Mosquito Cards were in Melville. See Monday’s paper (July 29th issue of the Press-Herald) for team photos and final results, and, in the meantime, enjoy these extra photos of some of the weekend’s events.
The determination on Dawson Wilson’s face as he prepares for, hits and runs for first base during one of the Peewee A2 Cardinals’ games shows how seriously the game of baseball is played in Unity!
Long-time (now retired )Unity recreation director Keith Wilson (right) and baseball and fastball coach Pat Risling (left), come off the diamond after Wilson threw and Risling caught the opening pitch for the Peewee A2 Provincial Championships hosted in Unity, July 19-21.