FORT MCMURRAY -- The Western Canadian Baseball League took a unique approach to scheduling for four teams to close out the week, resulting in some interesting quirks from their most recent contests..
The Moose Jaw Miller Express, Swift Current 57’s and Energy City Cactus Rats are all in Fort McMurray to play a round robin of sorts alongside the host Giants, with three games being played at Legacy Dodge Field on Thursday.
The Miller Express split a doubleheader, falling 3-1 to Energy City before taking a 3-0 victory over Fort McMurray, while the Cactus Rats also took a 9-8 win over Swift Current. Other contests saw the Regina Red Sox down the Medicine Hat Mavericks 6-5 in an extra inning while the Brooks Bombers defeated the Sylvan Lake Gulls 9-6 and the Okotoks Dawgs rolled past the Lethbridge Bulls 24-2.
Energy City 3, Moose Jaw 1
As the score would indicate, the two teams found themselves in a pitching duel, with the Cactus Rats’ Braden Giardina eventually getting the better of the Express’ Andres Zarate.
Giardina ended up with the win, going five innings and allowing a single run on seven hits while striking out four and walking five.
Zarate had a decent start of his own, allowing three runs on four hits over four innings, but Moose Jaw’s usually-solid run support wasn’t there for him on the afternoon.
Austin Gurney hit a double and scored a run for Moose Jaw, while Gustavo Soto had a pair of hits.
Energy City had only four hits, but one of them was a three-run home run off the bat of Drew Ambercrombie in the bottom of the third inning, right after Moose Jaw had taken a 1-0 lead in their half of the frame.
Nathan Yunick and Landen Zehr each pitched an inning of scoreless relief for Moose Jaw, Derek Peterson and Tristan Harley did the same for the Cactus Rats, with Harley earning the save.
Energy City 9, Swift Current 8
Energy City went to extra innings in their first game of the day, with Parker Husu knocking home Elias Campbell with the walk-off game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
Swift Current had taken a 4-3 lead with a four-run fifth inning, only for the Cactus Rats to rally with three runs in the bottom of the frame. The 57’s scored another in the sixth before taking a 7-6 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh, but the Energy City would tie the game in their half of the frame and force extras.
Gus Koehn led Swift Current’s offence, going 2-for-5 with his sixth double of the season, two runs and two RBI. David Jinks and Rydell Adair also had two hits each and scored a run.
Husu finished with a pair of runs scored and two RBI, while Kenyon Sanders crossed the plate three times for Energy City.
Brodrick Bornstein started for Swift Current and allowed four runs, two earned on three hits over four innings. Shunta Furuya took the loss after giving up the two runs in the eighth.
Aiden Mass went 4 ⅓ for Energy City, allowing three runs on four hits. Connor Phillips allowed a single run in the eighth and took the win.
Swift Current is now 5-18 on the season and sixth in the East Division, Energy City improved to 10-14 and are fourth in the West.
Moose Jaw 3, Fort McMurray 0
The Miller Express also found themselves in a low-scoring battle in their evening contest against the Giants, scoring a pair of runs in the fifth and another in the seventh to secure the shutout win.
The Express pitching staff held Fort McMurray to only two hits, with Joe Gutierrez getting the start and giving up those two knocks while striking out two and walking a pair over five innings.
The showing was one of the best of the season for Moose Jaw, and four relievers would see it wouldn’t go to waste -- Jordan Bauer, Abe Ahlberg and Christian Garcia got the Express to the ninth, and Kaden Noble would finish things off to earn the save in the ninth.
Ashe Ammerlaan allowed two runs on a hit and five walks in 4 ⅔ to take the loss for the Giants.
Thomas Soto led Moose Jaw’s offence, going 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI.
Connor Martin and Camden Sanders had the Giants’ only hits.
Moose Jaw snaps a five-game losing streak and improves to 11-13, fourth in the East; Fort McMurray drops to 7-14, fifth in the West.
Regina 6, Medicine Hat 5
Jackson Syring knocked home Rafael Jackson with the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th and David Hankins finished off a three-inning stretch of shutout relief in the bottom of the frame to earn the win for Regina in Medicine Hat.
Syring ended up with a 3-for-5 game that included a run and pair of RBI, while Justin Seward was 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. Jackson crossed the plate three times, Brady Bye also had three hits.
Jaden Babiuk led the Mavericks with a 3-for-4 showing that included a run scored. Johnny Vulcano also had a pair hits and scored a run.
Foster Voytko started for Medicine Hat and allowed five runs, two earned, on 10 hits in 6 ⅓ innings of work, Luis Diaz pitched the final 3 ⅔ and gave up the winning run.
Regina is now 12-10 and third in the East, Medicine Hat improves to 16-8 and are second.
WCBL action Friday sees Swift Current against Energy City and Moose Jaw taking on Fort McMurray, with both those games in Fort McMurray. Other action sees Regina at Medicine Hat, Weyburn at Okotoks and Brooks at Sylvan Lake.
