The Sask Five Giants are one win away from the Saskatoon Minor Baseball League (SMBL) 11UAAA championship crown.
The Giants punched their ticket to the league final with a convincing 5-3 win over the City Gardens Cardinals in Saskatoon on Wednesday, August 11.
The SMBL 11UAAA league playoffs began August 3 and wrap up early next week.
The Giants, made up of players from Martensville, Warman, and other area communities, are undefeated so far in league playoffs, downing the Blue Jay Longhorns 8-3 in Game 1 on August 4 and defeating the Blue Jay Dirtbags 8-2 in Game 2 on August 5.
The 5-3 win over the City Gardens Cardinals marked their third straight playoff victory.
The Giants will now square off against the Cardinals Energized on Monday, August 16 at 6:00 p.m. at Kilburn Park field in Saskatoon. A Giants’ win on Monday will cement the championship for them.
If the Giants lose Monday’s game, however, they still have another crack at the title at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 17 at 6:00 p.m., because the playoff draw allows each team one loss before they are eliminated. (The Cardinals Energized lost their second game of the playoffs earlier this month, dropping an 11-8 decision to the City Gardens Cardinals on August 5.)
The full playoff schedule and results are posted on the SMBL website.
In the August 11 semi-final against the City Gardens Cardinals, the Giants got off to a quick start, scoring two runs in the first inning and adding three more in the second to take a commanding 5-0 lead. The City Gardens Cardinals rallied for two runs in the top of the third and added one more in the sixth, but solid defense by the Giants in the tension-filled last inning preserved their victory.
While their focus is on the city championship for now, the Giants will also be shooting for a provincial championship the weekend of August 20-22 at Kilburn Park in Saskatoon. They’ll be up against the other SMBL 11UAAA teams as well as squads from Moose Jaw, Regina and Swift Current.
The Giants play their opening game in provincials at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, August 20 against the Saskatoon Braves, followed by a 4:30 p.m. tilt against the Regina Expos. Their first game on Saturday, August 21 is at 1:00 p.m. against the Blue Jay Dirtbags. The full provincial tournament draw is on the Baseball Saskatchewan website.