There will be a new champion in the Western Canadian Baseball League when the playoffs wrap up a little over a week from now.
The defending champion Regina Red Sox dropped a 5-3 decision to the Saskatoon Berries in the third and deciding game of their East Division semifinal series on Sunday night, and as a result, the Berries claim the series two-games-to-one.
Saskatoon now advances to face the Moose Jaw Miller Express in the East Division Final after Moose Jaw finished off a two-game sweep of Medicine Hat on Friday night.
That series is set to begin Tuesday night in Moose Jaw.
Saskatoon 5, Regina 3
The Berries got on the board first with a three-run second inning, but Regina clawed their way back into it with a run in the fourth and another in the fifth to tie things up 3-3.
That set the stage for Saskatoon’s half of the sixth, where Brock Laird would single to right center to bring home Nash Nichols with what would stand as the game-winning run. Nick Stinson added a solo home run to lead off the eighth, and the Berries were off to the East Final.
Stinson ended up going 3-for-4 with three RBI while Laird was 3-for-4 with his run and RBI. Nate Houston finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Augie Grohman started for Saskatoon and went four innings, giving up a single run on four hits and striking out four in the no decision. Brooks Jones pitched 2 ⅔ innings of shutout relief, giving up only three hits. Wesley Shackleford closed things out and didn’t allow a hit over the final two innings, striking out three.
Brady Bye was 2-for-4 with an RBI for Regina, Alex Roux was 2-for-4 with one of their runs. Ian Montz and Jake Fowler also crossed the plate for the Red Sox.
Kris Hahn started and went 2 ⅔ innings, allowing three runs on four hits. Daniel Crabtree took the loss despite 3 ⅓ innings of solid relief that saw him scatter five hits and give up a single run.
Out in the West, the Sylvan Lake Gulls took a 3-2 win over the Lethbridge Bulls in Game 3 on Sunday and will face the Okotoks Dawgs for a spot in the WCBL Final. That series also begins Tuesday.
Up Next
The East Division Final begins Tuesday in Moose Jaw, with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. from Ross Wells Park. Keep an eye on wcblbaseball.com for updates for the rest of the schedule.
