The Prince Albert Royals hosted the Unity Cardinals for a pair of games on Saturday afternoon at Andy Zwack Field in Prince Albert, but it was the visitors who came away with two wins at the end of the day.
Game One:
The Royals jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings, scoring once in the bottom of the first, and three times in the bottom of the second. Bronson Parker drove home the first run of the game with a line drive single, letting Carter Gladstone touch home plate. After three walks issued by the Cardinals in the second, Lukas Robin doubled and Kolby Brown scored on a wild pitch to make it a 4-0 spread.
Unity responded with a five runs in the third inning, all scored with two outs on the board. Two singles and a pair of triples allowed Kaden Braun, Hunter Sperle, Denim O’Donnell, Thomas Snell, and Karson Blanchette to score to give the Cardinals a 5-4 lead.
Parker and Landon Vandale scored for the Royals in the bottom of the third to restore Prince Albert’s lead, as the Royals went up 6-5.
A walk followed by a double in the top of the fifth brought the Cardinals back to a tie at 6-6, but Unity kept pouring on the offense in the frame. After a strikeout for out number two in the inning, the Cards quickly struck with three more runs to go up 9-6. A pair of singles, followed by a walk and a wild pitch gave Unity their second lead of the game, and the Royals could not mount another comeback. Unity added another run in the top of the sixth to go up 10-6, and that’s how game one would end.
Nick Dutchak pitched four and two thirds innings for Prince Albert giving up six hits and seven earned runs. Brown came in relief in the fourth and finished the game, pitching two and a third innings, allowing three runs on three hits. The Cardinals used four pitchers in game one, with Carter Ralston being utilized the most with two and a third innings thrown, not allowing a run or a hit to go with a walk and two strikeouts.
Game Two:
It took just five innings for the Cardinals to mercy the Royals, thanks to the help of an 11 spot put up in the first inning. Prince Albert got off to a good enough start in the opening half of the first going up 2-0, but committed four errors in the bottom half to assist the Cardinals. Lukas Robin lasted just one inning on the bump for Prince Albert, but out of the 11 runs given up, just two of them were earned.
Unity tacked on six more runs over the second, third, and fourth inning to go up 17-2. The Royals couldn’t find any more offense after their two first inning runs, as the game was called after the top of the fifth to the mercy rule, as the Cardinals took game two, sweeping their weekend double header.
The Royals fell to 3-8 on the season, while the Cardinals improved to 4-1 with the win.
Prince Albert is back in action on Wednesday night at home when they welcome the Saskatoon Blue Jays.
@kyle_kosowan•sports@paherald.sk.ca
