MOOSE JAW -- A fast start and solid finish was enough for the Moose Jaw Miller Express to pick up their fourth-straight win in Western Canadian Baseball League action on Thursday night.
The Express rolled to a 10-4 win over the Swift Current 57’s in Swift Current, while the Saskatoon Berries saw their eight-game win streak snapped with an 8-7 loss to the Mavericks in Medicine Hat and the Regina Red Sox dropped a 10-9 decision at home to Energy City,
Other action Thursday saw Sylvan Lake defeat Weyburn 7-1, Okotoks edge Brooks 6-5 and Lethbridge defeat Fort McMurray 6-5.
Moose Jaw 10, Swift Current 4
It was another fast start for the Express, as three runs in the first and another two in the third gave Moose Jaw a quick 5-0 lead. Swift Current would close within a pair in the sixth but would get no closer thanks to three more late Moose Jaw runs.
Thomas Soto had a solid game at the plate for the Express, going 2-for-6 with a double, home run, run scored and three runs batted in. Eduardo Saenz also hit his second homer of the season while scoring a pair of runs in knocking in two.
Casey Prychak led the 57’s with a 2-for-3 effort that included a pair of RBI.
Rod Guardiola picked up the win on the mound, allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits over five innings. Jett Hutchison allowed a single run in the sixth and Joe Gutierrez tossed three scoreless innings to close out the victory.
Chase Cummins was the losing pitcher, allowing five runs on six hits in the first two innings.
Moose Jaw is now 10-8 and percentage points out of third place in the East Division, Swift Current fell to 3-15 and are sixth.
Medicine Hat 8, Saskatoon 7
The Berries put together an impressive comeback after falling behind 6-0 through three, scoring a pair of runs in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings before tying the contest in the top of the ninth.
The Mavericks would see to it there would be no extra innings, though, as Tyler Vanneste led off the ninth with a triple and Carter Roth knocked him home one batter later to secure the win.
Bailyn Sorensen and Evan Janner were each 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored for the Berries, Abiam Medina had two-run home run in the fifth.
Vanesste was 3-for-5 and finished a double away from hitting for the cycle, scoring three runs and knocking in three. Carter Roth was also 3-for-5 with three runs knocked in.
Matthias Trondson started for Saskatoon and allowed five runs, four earned, in the first 1 ⅓ inning before a trio of pitchers -- Adam Beamin, Alex Chumrau and Travis Phelps -- held the Mavericks to a pair of runs until the ninth. Tanner Hosick took the loss.
Max Hudlow went five innings for Medicine Hat and allowed two runs on a single hit and three walks, Luke Barrientos tossed the ninth to earn the win.
Saskatoon falls to 15-3 and remain in first place in the East, Medicine Hat drops to 14-6 and hold down second place in the East.
Energy City 10, Regina 9
The two teams found themselves in a back-and-forth battle, with a six-run sixth inning giving the Cactus Rats a 7-5 lead, only for Regina to come back and go ahead 8-7 with three in the seventh. Energy City regained the edge with three in the top of the eighth, and Regina would get within one in the bottom of the inning but no closer.
Jackson Syring continued to swing a hot bat for the Red Sox, going 3-for-3 with a home run, double, four runs scored and a pair of RBI. Jalen Seward and Rafael Jackson also had a pair of hits each for Regina.
Kenyon Sanders had a single hit for the Cactus Rats, but it was a big one with a grand slam in Energy City’s big sixth inning. Zach Pyles went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored.
Blake Johnson started for Regina and took some damage from Regina’s lone error of the game, giving up seven runs, only three earned, on six hits while striking out eight over 5 ⅔ innings. James Adcock ended up with the loss after allowing the winning run in the eighth.
Chris Nino allowed five runs, three earned, on five hits over five innings for Energy City. Derek Peterson pitched the eighth to earn the win, Archer Blumenschein claimed the save.
Energy City improved to 7-10 and are fourth in the West Division, Regina dropped to 9-7 and are third in the East.
League action continues tonight with Energy City at Regina, Swift Current at Moose Jaw, Saskatoon at Medicine Hat, Sylvan Lake at Weyburn, Brooks at Okotoks and Fort McMurray at Lethbridge. First pitch for each of those games is 7 p.m.
