In fact, one of their six wins on the season came against the Pacers, and they’d seen a handful of close games despite finishing with seven fewer victories.
So when the two teams took the stage for the first round of the playoffs on Friday night, they knew the chance for an upset was there.
And lo and behold, that’s exactly what happened.
The Canucks took a 3-1 lead out of the second inning and never looked back, emerging with a 5-3 win and advancing to the league semifinal against the first-place East Central Mils on Saturday afternoon.
Brendan Gerbrandt led the way on the mound, turning in an outstanding start saw him allow only three runs – two earned – through 5 1/3 innings while striking out seven and walking four. He left the game with a 4-3 lead, and Nathan McDougall was lights out the rest of the way, giving up a single hit and striking out a pair.
McDougall helped out his own cause with a 2-for-3 day at the plate that included a two-run double in the second, as well as a pair of runs scored – including a key insurance marker in the seventh.
Javin Boynton made the most of his single hit in the game, cranking a solo shot over the right field fence in the fourth inning.
The Canucks will look for more of the same in the semifinal, but it won’t be easy. East Central finished the regular season with a 19-3 record, and won all three regular-season meetings in commanding fashion: 10-1 and 9-1 in a doubleheader in Moose Jaw on July 18 and 11-1 in their lone meeting in Balcarres.
The winner of Saturday’s game will advance to the final Sunday.
