Throughout their fast start to the Western Canadian Baseball League season, the Moose Jaw Miller Express have either had a solid performance from their bullpen or put up enough runs that the result wasn’t in doubt late in the game.
On Saturday night at Ross Wells Park, the shoe was on the other foot.
The Medicine Hat Mavericks scored three runs in the top of the sixth to take a 7-6 lead and rode a stellar performance from reliever Kyle Calzadiaz to the one-run win in front of close to 500 fans on a near-perfect night for baseball.
It was a back-and-forth contest early as both teams quickly got on the bats, leading to Moose Jaw taking a 6-4 lead out of the fourth inning.
There things remained until the top of the sixth, when a two-run triple off the bat of Nathan Tarver would key the three-run inning and give the Mavericks the lead for good.
A major part of that was Calzadiaz, who came on in the fifth and was lights out, holding the Express to a single hit the rest of the way, allowing only three baserunners and striking out seven.
Kellan Voggesser got the start for Moose Jaw and allowed four runs on eight hits through four innings of work. Kaleb Waller took over in the fifth and escaped a bit of a jam before Medicine Hat put up their big inning, eventually allowing three runs on five hits and a walk.
Jake King closed things out and continued his solid start to the campaign, pitching three innings, allowing three hits and seeing his earned run average fall to 0.82 over five appearances.
Austin Gurney had another good night at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a run scored and RBI, while Dawson Tweet continued his fast start with a 2-for-4 outing that included a pair of runs scored. Parker Dorrance also had a pair of hits and scored a run.
Tyler Vanneste had an impressive game for Medicine Hat with a 5-for-5 night that included a run and RBI.
Moose Jaw is now 7-3 on the campaign and continue to hold down first place in the East Division, two games up on the Mavericks.
The two teams are right back in action on Saturday afternoon, with first pitch at 2:05 p.m. at Ross Wells Park.
