The Moose Jaw Miller Express are hoping that won’t regularly be the case for them in Western Canadian Baseball League action, but their last two outings gave the local squad an idea of what it could be like.
The Express ran into the first pitcher they couldn’t solve in a 7-2 loss to the Melville Millionaires on Tuesday before dropping an 8-7 decision to the Swift Current 57’s in a back-and-forth battle on Wednesday.
Melville 7, Express 2
Chris Paruleski got the start on the mound for Melville and tossed six innings of shut-out ball, scattering four hits and striking out five in the process.
He left the game with a 3-0 lead, after which Chris Lacher was nearly his equal, tossing the final three innings and holding the shut-out until Cole Warken lashed a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth.
That would be one of the few bright spots at the plate for the Express, a drastic departure from their offensive fireworks through the first week of the season where they had three contests scoring 10 runs or more.
Darrell Doll was the only Express hitter to solve Paruleski, hitting a lead-off double in the fourth inning. He finished the game 2-for-2 with a run scored, sacrifice fly and walk.
Jeff Nicolosi got the start on the mound and surrendered two runs on two hits in four innings of work. Nick Falco tossed two innings and gave up a run; Nico Portillo closed out the final three frames, seeing four runs scored – two earned – on three hits and five walks.
Swift Current 8, Express 7
The Express were able to regain their stride at the plate in Swift Current, but were unable to keep the 57’s off the board in the process on their way to losing back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Doll got things off to fast start with a two-run home run in the first inning, one of three round-trippers for the Express on the night. Geordie McDougall would hit his second of the season in the fourth as Moose Jaw built a 6-3 lead in their half of the inning.
Swift Current came to life in their half of the frame, though, hitting reliever Alex Orenczuk for five runs on five hits to take an 8-6 lead.
Moose Jaw closed to within one the next inning, but that would mark the end of their offensive production as Graeme Cherry closed things down for the 57’s before Logan Garza came on in the ninth to earn the save.
The Express did have their share of hits, 12 in total, with Dougie DelaCruz going 3-for-4 with a run scored, Eric Marriott 3-for-5 with an RBI, and Markus Melendez 1-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Blake Gallagher got the start on the mound, giving up three runs on four hits in three innings. Michael Ross tossed the final four frames, surrendering two hits while striking out seven.
The Express are back in action tonight when they travel to Yorkton before a weekend home-and-home with the Regina Red Sox. Game time Saturday is 7 p.m. at Ross Wells Park.
