The Moose Jaw Miller Express are off to the Western Canadian Baseball League East Division Final.
Moose Jaw overcame an early deficit to take a 12-5 win over the Medicine Hat Mavericks in Game 2 of their best-of-three Division semifinal series on Saturday night. As a result, they won the series two-games-to-none after claiming Game 1 10-9 on Friday.
The Express now await the winner of the other semifinal between the Regina Red Sox and Saskatoon Berries after Regina took a 5-3 win in Game 2. That series is now tied at a game apiece, with the third and deciding contest set for Sunday night.
Moose Jaw 12, Medicine Hat 5
The Mavericks took the early lead with a run in the third inning, but the Express did all the damage they’d need with six runs in the fifth. Moose Jaw led 8-1 when Medicine Hat closed ground with three in the seventh, but a four-run ninth for the Express finished things off once and for all.
Will Edwards led Moose Jaw’s offence with a 3-for-5 outing that included two doubles, two runs and two RBI, while Jacob Mraz had a two-run home run as his lone hit. Michael Rago, Garryn Plummer and Thomas Soto all scored two runs, Chris Franks had a pair of RBI.
Jacob Glazener was the winning pitcher after giving up four runs on six hits over 6 ⅔ innings.
Jalen King and Nate King were both 2-for-4 with a home run, double and two runs scored while Jalen also had three RBI.
Diego Centella was the losing pitcher despite pitching four shutout innings, but Moose Jaw got to him in the fifth and he’d leave the game with one out in that inning after giving up five runs on four hits.
Regina 5, Saskatoon 3
Saskatoon scored a pair of runs in the third inning to tie the game 2-2 and then took the lead with one in the fifth, but Regina came back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning before hanging on the rest of the way.
Brady Bye had the big hit in the big inning for Regina, hitting a three-run home run that scored Jalen Meyers and Ian Montz with what would stand as the tying, go-ahead and insurance runs.
Sam Jackson went to work from there, finishing off a quality start by allowing only three runs on eight hits over 6 ⅓ innings. Kris Hahan was lights out the rest of the way, holding Saskatoon to a single hit over the final 2 ⅔ innings.
Meyers had a great game at the plate, going 4-for-4 with two doubles. Alex Roux was 2-for-4 with a run.
Ethan Murdoch went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI for Saskatoon, Brock Laird had three hits and Nash NIchols added a pair of knocks.
Merek Yeager was the losing pitcher after giving up five runs on eight hits over five innings.
The third and deciding game of the series is set for 7:05 p.m. on Sunday night at Cairns Field in Saskatoon.
