MOOSE JAW — The wins keep adding up for the Moose Jaw Miller Express, but the Saskatoon Berries aren’t about to make the race for first place in the Western Canadian Baseball League’s East Division an easy one.
The Express picked up their fifth-straight victory with a 3-2 win over the Lethbridge Bulls in Lethbridge on Friday night, while the Berries kept pace with a 17-5 win over the Swift Current 57’s in Swift Current.
As a result, Moose Jaw leads the Division with a 23-11 record, with Saskatoon right on their heels a half-game behind at 22-11.
Other Saskatchewan action on Friday saw the Weyburn Beavers fall 7-3 to the Okotoks Dawgs and the Regina Red Sox drop a 10-6 contest to the Medicine Hat Mavericks.
Moose Jaw 2, Lethbridge 1
Two runs in the second inning and another in the fifth were enough for the Miller Express to come away with a win in the battle between Division leaders.
That was in no small part due to the work of the Moose Jaw pitching staff, as they held the Bulls to only six hits on the night. Sean Bavis turned in a quality start, allowing a single run on five hits over 6 ⅓ innings of work, while R.J. Patrick gave up a single run in the eighth and Nathan Pisio tossed a perfect ninth to earn the save.
Ben Waliczek knocked home Pacey Phillips and Chris Franks drew a bases-loaded walk for Moose Jaw’s first two runs, and Eduardo Saenz hit a solo home run in the fifth as part of a 3-for-4 night to score the game-winning run.
Kalem Haney scored both of the Bulls’ runs.
Brett Getz was the losing pitcher after giving up the two runs in the second while Dawson Schultz saw the majority of work for Lethbridge, allowing a single run on five hits over five innings.
The Bulls fall to 21-8 and are now tied for first with 25-10 Okotoks for first in the West.
Saskatoon 17, Swift Current 5
Things were as close as could be heading into the final two innings, with Saskatoon having scored a pair of runs in the sixth to tie the game 4-4. That all changed the next frame, though, as the Berries put up six in the seventh and then added seven more in the eighth to invoke the mercy rule.
Josh Henson hit a solo home run to lead off the seventh for the Berries and finished with five runs batted in on the night. Gael Salinas, Gavin Panks and Brock Laird all had three hits and crossed the plate three times for Saskatoon, Panks also had three RBI. Aiden Killsaw added a pair of RBI.
Owen Stempel picked up the win on the mound, allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits over five innings.
Hudson Unger hit a solo home run in the first for Swift Current and scored two runs, Jake Hiromoto was 2-for-3 with a run and RBI, Mace Wheeler picked up a pair of hits and also scored one and knocked one in.
Gavin Lippa started for the 57’s and allowed two runs on four hits while striking out five, Chase Cummins took the loss after giving up the big seventh inning.
Swift Current falls to 11-19 and are tied with 12-20 Weyburn for the fourth and final playoff spot in the East, a half game ahead of 12-21 Regina.
Medicine Hat 10, Regina 6
The two teams were tied at a pair heading into the sixth inning, where the Mavericks would score seven runs and pull away for good.
The Red Sox were led at the plate by Ian Montz and Will Togher, with Montz going 2-for-3 with a three-run home run in the eighth, while Togher hit a two-run shot in the fourth. Ty Martinez was 2-for-4 with a run scored.
David Hensarling started for Regina and allowed two runs on three hits over five innings while striking out five, Quinn Boreen took the loss after giving up five runs without getting an out in the sixth.
Frankie Giacalone had the big hit in the big inning for the Mavericks, belting a grand slam and finishing with five RBIs in the game. Carter Roth was 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI, Evan Morrison and Blake Dale each crossed the plate twice.
Derek Archer was the winning pitcher, allowing four runs on five hits and striking out seven over seven innings.
Medicine Hat improves to 16-18 to sit in third in the East, seven games back of Moose Jaw and Saskatoon.
Okotoks 7, Weyburn 3
It was yet another late-inning surge that decided the game in Weyburn, as the Dawgs broke open a 1-1 game with two runs in each of the final three innings to secure their victory. The Beavers scored a pair in the eighth but could get no closer.
Okotoks belted out six doubles in the game, with Cal Gates picking up a pair of those as his only hits and scoring two runs. Tucker Zdunich went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, Emmet Stacher was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI.
Brody Forno had a solid outing in taking the no decision, allowing a single run on three hits and striking out 10 in six innings. Dalton Hoffart then tossed a scoreless seventh and snagged the win.
Joe Madill hit a solo home run to lead off the sixth and scored a pair of runs for Weyburn, who had only five hits in the game. Ryan Dauphinee had their other run.
Logan Lynch took the loss despite an impressive effort of his own, giving up five runs, four earned, on nine hits while striking out 10 over 7 ⅔ innings.
Up Next
It’s a busy night for Saskatchewan teams on Saturday, with Swift Current playing a doubleheader in Saskatoon (4 p.m. and 7 p.m.), Moose Jaw at Lethbridge (6:10 p.m.), Regina at Medicine Hat (6:45 p.m.) and Okotoks at Weyburn (7:05 p.m.).
