The wins just keep adding up for Penny Barker and Ben Gamble as the Original 16 Cash League season progresses, with the two rinks heading into the Christmas break as the only unbeaten teams in the 12-team league after play on Wednesday night at the Moose Jaw Curling Centre.
Barker and her BTN Chartered Accountants foursome improved to 10-0 on the season with a 5-2 win over Rod Montgomery (5-6). It was a short night for the two teams, as after exchanging single points in the first two ends, Barker picked up a deuce in the third and stole two more in the fourth. Montgomery got one back in the fifth, but the two teams decided to shake hands.
Things were far closer for Gamble’s KMS Construction foursome in their matchup with John’s Music (Ryan Wenarchuk, 5-6). Gamble took a 2-0 lead into the fourth end, but Wenarchuk would get a pair to tie things up. Single points the next two ends gave Gamble a 4-2 edge, but Wenarchuk wouldn’t go quietly, scoring one in the seventh and stealing in the eighth to send the contest to an extra end. There, Gamble used the hammer to perfection and picked up three for the 7-4 win.
Matt Froehlich (7-4) maintained his hold on third place thanks to a 6-1 victory over ProTec Studios (Tyler Krupski, 6-4). Froehlich scored a pair in the first and stole one in the second for the quick 3-0 lead, with a single point by Krupski getting them back in the hunt. Froehlich brought things to an early finish the next end, though, putting up a three-spot and leading to the teams shaking hands.
Paws N Play (Jaedon Miller, 5-5) clawed their way back to .500 after a slow start to the season, thanks to a 6-3 win over RK Sunview Farms (Tanya Heisler, 0-11). Miller wasted little time getting things going with three in the first end and a steal in the second for a 4-0 lead, and after Heisler picked up one in the third, would score two more for a 6-1 edge through four. RK Sunview got two back in the fifth, but the teams opted to call it a night.
A fast start and late-game surge proved key for Kal Tire (Dustin Woloschuk, 5-6) in their 6-4 win over Pro-Tec Electric (Stan Barnsley, 5-5). Woloschuk promptly put up three in the first end, but would trail 4-3 after four thanks to a Barnsley single in the second, steal of two in the third and another steal in the fourth. Woloschuk turned the tables from there, though, scoring singles in the fifth and sixth and putting things away with another steal in the eighth.
EMJ Marketing (Joe Gunnis, 3-8) returned to the win column thanks to an 8-1 victory over Fountain Tire (Barry Silk, 4-7). A quick 3-0 lead after two ends gave Gunnis control of the game, and after Silk picked up one in the third, Gunnis scored three in the fourth and stole two in the fifth to bring things to an early end.
The league takes a break for the holidays but returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 4 at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
