The senior AA St. Albert Cardinals play a must-win game Monday for a playoff spot in the North Central Alberta Baseball League.
First pitch is 6:45 p.m. against the host Westlock Red Lions at Keller Field.
The wildcard elimination winner advances to the semifinal series in Westlock next weekend, which is also the NCABL's 50th anniversary alumni weekend.
The Cardinals finished in a three-way tie with the Red Lions and Edmonton Primeaus at 8-8 for the fourth and final playoff berth after Tuesday's 8-5 loss to the Primeaus in the last regular season contest.
According to the NCABL manual, a single post-season elimination game shall be played between the two clubs who were tied and who possessed the best win-loss record in those games played between all clubs who were tied at the conclusion of the season.
The Cardinals were 1-1 against the Red Lions and Primeaus.
The Red Lions, who haven't missed the playoffs since 2010, won both games against the Primeaus.
The Stony Plain Mets (14-2), Edmonton Blackhawks (13-3) and Sherwood Park Athletics (12-4) qualified for the best-of-three semifinals.
The championship series is Aug. 26-27 at Edmonton Professional Baseball Park, formerly Telus Field.
Last year the Blackhawks swept the Mets in the best-of-three final.
The Cardinals were in position to secure their first playoff appearance since joining the NCABL in 2013 with a 5-2 lead in the middle innings and Tanner McLean-Poll on the mound against the Primeaus at Legion Memorial Park.
However, costly defensive errors and 11 stranded runners put the Cardinals behind the eight-ball against the Primeaus, who reached the premier division final of the Lac La Biche tournament before rained washed out Monday's championship game.
Last year Cardinals finished at the bottom of the standings at 3-15.
The St. Albert Tigers are done like dinner after losing the Sunburst Baseball League semifinal to the first-place Red Deer Riggers.
Scores were 12-2 and 3-2 in the best-of-three senior AAA playoff.
In game one, the Riggers scored four runs in the first inning, belted back to back homers in the sixth and turned five double plays in Tuesday's mercy rule victory in seven innings at Red Deer.
The Tigers were held to only two hits and struck-out five times.
Game two Wednesday at Legion Memorial park ended with a bases-loaded double play by the Riggers.
The visitors also clubbed a two-run homer.
The loss was the 11th in a row for the Tigers in the four-team circuit and the last Sunburst win was June 30, 9-6 against the Sherwood Park Athletics in St. Albert.
The Tigers, 3-15 in the regular season, also finished 0-8 against the Riggers, the top team in league play at 13-5.
The Riggers advance to the best-of-five Sunburst provincial final against Sherwood Park (12-6), the two-time defending champion.
Sherwood Park swept the Confederation Park Cubs (8-10) in the semifinals.
The last Sunburst provincials for the Tigers was 2007.
