The SESBL has a new champion. While the Yorkton E&S Yankees won for three years in a row, the Langenburg Legends capped off their own winning season by taking the series in four games, ending the Yankees’ streak.
The first game took place Aug. 1 in Langenburg.
It began with Langenburg getting on the board early with two runs in the second. The Yankees met that offensive by putting three of their own on the board in the third. They maintained that slim lead until the seventh inning. Langenburg got two runs, which cinched the win for the team, putting them up 1-0 for the series.
Evan Markham got the win for Langenburg, while Jeremy Johnson was tagged with the loss for Yorkton.
“Game one was pretty good, they got some timely hits,” said player/coach Mark Jacobs.
The second game, with Langenburg meeting the Yankees in Melville on Aug. 3, was all about Yorkton. From the first inning, where Yorkton got on the board with three, and through the rest of the game, it was a dominant performance for the Yankees. The third inning had another three for the Yankees. The Langenburg squad did find home twice in the fourth and once in the fifth, but at the same time, the Yankees got four in the fourth and one in the fifth. Yorkton capped off their winning ways with a final four runs in the sixth. The Legends put a pair on the board in the seventh but it was too little, too late, and the final score was 15-5 for Yorkton.
Ross Stilborn got the win for the Yankees, while Dane Kobylko had the loss for Langenburg.
“We thought Game two might turn the tide,” said Jacobs.
The series would be decided with a double-header on Monday, Aug. 6.
The back-to-back games wound up looking very similar on the scoreboard. Langenburg got runs, while Yorkton did not. In the first game, the Legends got two in the bottom of the first to set the tone for the afternoon of baseball. Pitcher Kelly Cook was tagged with the win as the Legends went on to take the game 5-0. Logan Calanchie was tagged with the loss.
The second game of the afternoon was much the same as the first, again beginning with two runs for the Legends in the first and again seeing Kelly Cook lead the team to a shutout. The score, however, was different, with the Legends managing more runs the second time around, for a final score of 8-0.
“Game three and four they played pretty much perfectly... They shut us down pretty good, hats off to them,” said Jacobs.
Langenburg has not won a championship since 2002, when the Langenburg Indians took the top prize in the league.
In terms of the Yankees, Jacobs said that while they’re disappointed they didn’t win the championship, they’re proud of what they accomplished this season and over the past decade. He knew the Legends would be the biggest challenge they would face in the season. Even if the Yankees didn’t win the league this year, they’re still proud of their record.
“We’ve won more than we’ve lost over the past 10 years.”
