Trailing 7-3 through five innings, the Canucks scored three runs in the sixth to close to within one, only to see Regina get all three of those back in their half of the final inning. Moose Jaw didn’t give up, though, staging a two-out rally and getting the tying run to first before dropping a 10-8 decision.
Quincey Johnson led the way at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and three runs batted in. Cole Breitkreuz went 2-for-4 and scored two runs while Tyler Lorenz took advantage of a pair of walks to cross the plate twice.
For Regina, Malcolm Pickering hit a triple for his lone base hit and scored three runs, while Reece Lysak went 3-for-4 and also scored three times.
While the offence for both teams was firing, things were decidedly different in the field – each squad made six errors on the day, leading to the amazing stat of all eight Moose Jaw runs being unearned and only six Regina runs coming without errors involved.
The third Pacers pitcher of the day, Jesse Lubiniecki, took the hardest hit, giving up five runs on four hits, without a single one of them earned.
Cam O’Reilly got the start for Moose Jaw and surrendered three runs on four hits over 2 2/3rds while striking out five. Nick Daly (1 1/3, two runs, three hits), Ryley Gross (1 1/3, two runs, one hit, three Ks) and Chase Coward (1 2/3, three runs, three hits, four Ks) also saw action on the mound for the Canucks.
Moose Jaw will now have most of the day off Saturday before facing the Battlefords at 6 p.m. and Saskatoon Blue Jays at 9 p.m.
Playoffs begin with tiebreakers on Sunday morning at 8 a.m., semifinals at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and final at 5 p.m. If there are no tiebreakers, semifinals will be at 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. and the gold medal game at 3 p.m.
All Sunday games are at Ross Wells Park.
