SWIFT CURRENT — There’s a new team in the early-season battle for a spot in the top three in the Western Canadian Baseball League’s East Division, and all it took was a single doubleheader sweep to make it happen.
The Swift Current 57’s took both ends of a twinbill off the Regina Red Sox on Thursday night, winning the opener 4-2 and nightcap 7-6, and as a result find themselves on the verge of moving up the standings for the first time since the first week of the season.
The two wins see the 57’s improve to 7-13 on the campaign, pulling to within a half game of the 8-13 Red Sox for fifth place in the Division and also sitting only two games back of the Weyburn Beavers for third.
The race for first place in the Division also tightened on Thursday, as the Moose Jaw Miller Express took a 5-4 win over the Sylvan Lake Gulls to improve to 13-7 and move within a game of the first-place Saskatoon Berries.
Swift Current 4, Regina 2
The 57’s scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to secure the victory, with Jake Hiromoto scoring what would stand as the game-winning run on a wild pitch.
It was a fortuitous turn of events for Swift Current, as they picked up two of their three hits on the night in the pivotal inning to secure the comeback victory.
A major reason for their success was relief pitcher Gavin Lippa, who came on in the third inning and was lights out for the 57’s, scattering five hits and striking out four to pick up the win.
Keagan Knowler got the start for Swift Current and allowed two runs on three hits in the first two innings and also helped out his own cause with a solo home run in the second.
Regina starter Caleb Orr had shut down the 57’s until the sixth inning, but ended up giving up four runs on three hits while walking three and striking out a pair.
Brady Bye had a pair of hits for Regina, Lance Anderson and Chance Descalchuk scored their runs.
Swift Current 7, Regina 6
A five run third inning for Swift Current proved to be the difference in the nightcap, though Regina made things interesting late in the game.
Adam Rowland led the 57’s offence with a 2-for-2 outing that included a double, run scored and three runs batted in, while Lucas Geisler had a pair of hits and knocked in two runs. Jake Roggensack crossed the plate twice.
Regina scored three runs in the top of the seventh and had the tying run on base, but that’s where the comeback attempt would end.
Descalchuk was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, Anderson 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Will Togher also crossed the plate twice, Jake Fowler picked up a pair of hits.
Zachary Desylva got the start for Swift Current and turned in a quality start, allowing three runs, one earned, on seven hits over six innings to pick up the win.
David Gordon was the losing pitcher after allowing seven runs, only four earned, on six hits over the first three innings. Michael Bizier tossed three innings of shut out relief.
Moose Jaw 5, Sylvan Lake 4
The Miller Express built a 5-1 lead through the first seven innings and would need every one of those runs as Sylvan Lake scored three in the eighth but would see their late-game rally come up short.
Will Edwards had a solid outing at the plate for Moose Jaw, going 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored while Garryn Plummer had a pair of his and knocked in two. Chris Franks hit a two-run triple in the seventh, Ben Waliczek was 3-for-3 with a run scored.
Jacob Glazener had a stellar outing on the mound, needing only 69 pitches to get through seven innings and allowing a single run on two hits while striking out five to earn the win.
Cooper Ciesielski hit a solo home run in the seventh for Sylvan Lake, Gavin Galenza had the Gulls only other hit on the night.
Bryson Leach took the loss for Sylvan Lake, allowing five runs on 10 hits over 6 ⅔ innings.
Up Next
Games involving Saskatchewan teams on Friday will see Swift Current at Medicine Hat (6:45 p.m.), Sylvan Lake at Moose Jaw (7:05 p.m.) and Saskatoon at Weyburn (7:05 p.m.).
