The Moose Jaw 15U AAA Canucks found themselves in a pair of nailbiters in Sask Premier Baseball League action on Sunday afternoon but still managed to come away with a pair of impressive wins.
The Canucks held off the East Central Dodgers for a 6-5 victory in the opening game of the doubleheader before taking a come-back walk-off 9-8 win in the rematch at Blackwell Diamond.
Things got a little too close for comfort in the first game of the day, as despite taking a 6-1 lead into the final inning, the Canucks would see the Dodgers get the tying run to second base before holding on for the win.
Things had been pretty comfortable to that point, as a five-run fourth inning gave Moose Jaw a 5-1 lead, and they’d tack on what would be an all-important sixth run in the sixth.
Luke Pratte led the way at the plate with a 3-for-3 game that included a pair of runs scored. Spencer Craig added a pair of runs batted in.
Hunter Scott got the start for Moose Jaw and turned in a stellar performance, allowing a single unearned run while scattering seven hits and striking out eight over six innings. Marcus Capili attempted to finish things off but could only get one out as the Dodgers scored three runs, and East Central would score another off Ronan Tonge before he got a ground ball for the final out.
The rematch played out in almost exact opposite fashion, only this time, the team chasing completed their comeback.
A four-run first inning had paced East Central to a 6-2 victory through four innings, and they led 7-3 when Moose Jaw put up three runs in the sixth to get back within one. The Dodgers added a run in their half of the seventh, setting up the late-game dramatics.
East Central quickly got the Canucks down to their final out, but a walk, pair of errors and a base hit would see Capili and Kyren Ernest come around to score the tying runs.
Scott would then send a single into right field to score Brettin Hutchinson with the game-winning run.
Capili went 3-for-4 at the plate and scored twice, while Tyson Ross had a double and knocked in three runs. Scott was 2-for-5 on the day, Ernest’s game-tying run was his second of the game.
Craig allowed four runs on five hits over the first two innings before Tonge tossed the next three and surrendered three runs on three hits. Ernest pitched the final two innings and allowed one run on two hits.
The Canucks are back in action on Wednesday, June 13 when they travel to Regina for a doubleheader with the White Butte Broncos.
