MEDICINE HAT -- Anyone who has followed the Moose Jaw Miller Express the last few seasons will be very much aware of their offensive capabilities and how that keeps them in nearly every Western Canadian Baseball League game.
That apparently holds true even with almost a whole new line-up of players.
Taking on the Medicine Hat Mavericks in Medicine Hat in their season opener on Thursday night, the Miller Express would fall behind 10-3 through seven innings before rallying to tie the game with a seven-run eighth. They’d be unable to hold on, though, giving up three in the bottom of the eighth and dropping a 13-10 decision.
Andrew Niaves had a stellar debut at the plate for Moose Jaw, providing the key hit of the comeback inning with a grand slam that brought home Austin Gurney -- who hit a two-run double earlier in the inning -- Jackson Yeager and Jackson Martin.
Yeager also played his first WCBL contest and hit a solo home run in the second, going 1-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Gurney opened his fourth season with the Express by going 2-for-5 with a run and two RBI.
Jeremy Freeman Jr. led Medicine Hat’s offence by going 3-for-4 with two runs and four RBI, while Yusei Uzawa also had four runs batted in.
As the score would indicate, it was a less-than-stellar night for both pitching staffs, with each team using six pitchers.
Westin Walls started for the Express and allowed seven runs on four hits in 2 ⅔ innings before giving way to Josh Bourbeau, who allowed two bases- loaded walks but no runs or hits in 1 ⅓. Rodolfo Guardiola allowed two runs on three hits in the fifth, followed by Nathan Yunick giving up a single run and one hit over the next two innings.
Jakob Israel took the mound to start the eighth and was unable to get an out, giving way to Joe Gutierrez, who would allow a bases-loaded walk and see another run score on an error.
Tyler Spruiell started for the Mavericks and allowed a run on four hits in four innings of work before Garrick Levesque, Jesse Alfaro, Graham Stack, Luke Barrientos and Aiden Doll all saw action in relief.
The Miller Express are back in action on Friday night for their home opener when they host the Saskatoon Berries. First pitch is 7:05 p.m. at Ross Wells Park.
