MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- It stood to reason that once the Moose Jaw Miller Express pitching staff began to settle down and hold the opposition offence in check, the wins would start to add up.
On Saturday night at Ross Wells Park against the Swift Current 57’s, Moose Jaw gave their fans a taste of what that could look like.
Ethan Merk put together the first quality start of the season for the Miller Express, and they’d go on to an 8-4 victory in Western Canadian Baseball League action.
Merk went six innings and allowed four runs, two earned, on only two hits while striking out three and walking one.
The bullpen shut down things from there, as Matt Vasquez tossed a shutout seventh and Drew Sorrentino only allowed a single hit over the final two innings.
The Miller Express bats, meanwhile, did what they’ve done all season.
Austin Gurney hit a three-run home run in the third inning to put Moose Jaw up 3-0, and after Swift Current scored four in the top of the sixth, the Express came right back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning and tacked on three more insurance markers in the seventh.
Gurney capped his night with a 2-for-4 showing that included a pair of runs scored and three runs batted in, while Nate Menisk was 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the sixth and a pair of runs scored.
Klevert Martina got the start for the 57’s and allowed five runs over 5 ⅔ innings before Matthew Chandler allowed three runs ove the next 1 ⅓ innings. Jacob Chandler finished things off with a scoreless eighth.
The Miller Express are right back in action on Sunday afternoon when they travel to Saskatoon to face the Berries, Next home action is Thursday, June 12 when the Regina Red Sox make their first trip to Ross Wells Park. Game time is 7 pm.
