Chance Kantrud's RBI single in extra innings clinched the Sask-Alta Baseball League championship for the Swift Current Yard Goats on Sunday night.
The second baseman's grounder through the right side of the infield plated left fielder Carson Rokochy from second as Swift Current knocked off the Cabri River Rats in 12-11 in an instant Sask-Alta finals classic at Mitchell Field.
"I seen the pitcher all day, so I knew what he was looking like," Kantrud said on Country 94.1's Local Sports Live broadcast powered by OMT Projects. "I took that pitch and put it the other way right in the hole and got the boys across."
"I'm still vibrating right now. It is a lot of excitement; it's a long time coming. We've been close a few times, been in the dance, been close, but it's finally nice to finish it off."
The back-and-forth affair began with Cabri scoring twice in the top of the first inning as Vance Fode produced an RBI groundout, followed by a sac fly RBI from Hayden Johnston.
Swift Current responded with a half dozen runs in the bottom half of the first inning, making it 6-2. Connor Choo-Foo smacked an RBI single, Ethan Warkentin scored on a wild pitch, Rylee Bekker hit an RBI single, Carter Schapansky also had an RBI single, and Bekker scored on a wild pitch. Cabri's starting pitcher Reid Fritzke was pulled after pitching two-thirds of an inning at 5-2. Schapansky scored on an errant throw to first base after Cabri put Nathan Mcinnins on the mound.
Mcinnins helped out his own cause in the third inning with an RBI double, cutting the Yard Goats' lead in half at 6-3.
Fritzke pushed across another River Rats run on a fielder's choice in the fourth inning, setting the table for Fode to rip a two-RBI double into right field, tying the game 6-6.
Jaxon Shotter put Cabri ahead 7-6 in the fifth inning with an RBI single. Fritzke extended their lead when he was hit by a Danon Funk pitch with the bases loaded, making it 8-6.
Shotter made it 10-6 for the River Rats in the sixth inning on a bloop single, scoring two runs.
"With this team, I've never had more confidence," Katrud said. "Even when we were down four runs late, I was never worried."
Swift Current, down to its final six outs, began a game-changing rally. Tyler Byers smacked a two-RBI double, followed by another Choo-Foo RBI single, making it 10-9. Choo-Foo then stole second, and as Cabri's catcher Kade Behm tried to throw him out, Warkentin stole home, tying the game at 10-10. Bekker recorded his second RBI of the night on a groundout, putting the Yard Goats ahead 11-10.
Brock Wall, pitching in his second inning, struck out the first three batters of the top of the seventh inning, but the final one, Johnston, reached safely as the ball eluded Byers behind the dish. Andrew Garland knocked Johnston in moments later, tying the game 11-11.
Swift Current was unable to walk it off in the bottom of the seventh inning. However, Wall pitched a scoreless eighth inning, allowing for Kantrud's two-out base hit with Rokochy scoring the winning run.
Wall was named playoff MVP following the game, pitching three innings in high-leverage relief.
"He won that trophy for a reason today," Kantrud said. "He 100 per cent earned it. He was throwing absolute gas today."
The Yard Goats won its first title since 2017 and third in the 74-year history of the league. Cabri had won five of the last six league titles, including the 2024 championship.
Earlier in the day, Swift Current walked off the Climax Cardinals 9-8 to advance to the championship game, while Cabri powered past the Richmound Rockets 14-6 in the other semi-final matchup.