REGINA -- The Regina Red Sox have become the third team in the Western Canadian Baseball League East Division to clinch a playoff spot -- and if things go according to plan for the Moose Jaw Miller Express on Sunday afternoon, the post-season teams will be set.
The Red Sox split a doubleheader with the Weyburn Beavers on Saturday, losing the opener 5-2 before taking a 6-3 win in the nightcap. As a result, the third-place Red Sox are 10 ½ games up on the fifth-place Beavers, with Weyburn having only eight games left on their schedule. That means Regina can finish no worse than fourth and will be in action in the playoffs.
The Miller Express fell 6-4 to the Saskatoon Berries and sit eight games up on Weyburn, meaning any combination of a Moose Jaw win or Weyburn loss over the remainder of the season will see the Express clinch a berth.
The Medicine Hat Mavericks long ago earned their spot and picked up their fifth-straight win with a 24-4 victory over the Swift Current 57’s.
Weyburn 5, Regina 2
The Beavers started the twinbill in Regina off by scoring three runs in the fifth to snap a 2-2 tie and holding on the rest of the way for the win.
Ian Heck led the way for the Beavers offence, going 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and two RBI, while Ryan Muizelaar and Brayden Mayencourt each crossed the plate twice.
Michael Fox was 3-for-4 with a double for Regina.
Dylan Parton was the winning pitcher, allowing two runs, one earned on seven hits while going 4 ⅔ innings. Jamin Smith and Connor Nipp tossed two innings of scoreless relief, with Nipp earning the save.
David Hankins allowed five runs, three earned over four innings for the Sox and was the losing pitcher, Vittorio Iacobucci allowed two hits and struck out six over the final three innings.
Regina 6, Weyburn 3
The Beavers took a 1-0 lead early in the nightcap, but Regina scored four in the third and two more in the fourth to take the lead for good.
Fox had a single hit and knocked in three runs for the Red Sox, Brady Bye went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI. Zayd Brannigan and Dan Castellanos each crossed the plate twice.
Weyburn had only three hits in the contest, with Trevor Dale picking up two of those while scoring a run and picking up an RBI.
Zander Oudie-Senger allowed three runs on three hits over five innings to earn the win, Sam Baker tossed a scoreless eighth and ninth to earn the save.
Ryan Meyer was the losing pitcher after giving up four runs on five hits in 2 ⅓, Isaiah Granado allowed two runs on three hits over the final 3 ⅔ innings.
Saskatoon 6, Moose Jaw 4
The Express took a 3-2 lead out of the fourth inning, but Saskatoon would get two back in the fifth and add single runs in the sixth and seventh for a 6-3 lead. Moose Jaw scored one one in the ninth and got the tying run on base before falling short of the comeback.
Ethan Menard and Carter Beck each went 3-for-5 with a run and RBI, with Menard boosting his league-leading batting average to .411. Mason Roell was 2-for-5 with a triple and RBI, while Rudy Gonzalez also crossed the plate twice.
Thomas Soto was 2-for-3 with a run and RBI to lead Moose Jaw’s offence.
Robert Bonilla got the start for Saskatoon and allowed three runs, two earned on six hits while going 3 ⅔ innings. Klevert Martina earned the win after pitching two shutout innings, Tanner Hosick picked up the save.
Jacob Glazener allowed four runs on 11 hits in 4 ⅓ for Moose Jaw and was the losing pitcher.
Saskatoon improves to 40-7 with their sixth straight win and will be the top team in the WCBL heading into the playoffs, Moose Jaw falls to 21-27.
Medicine Hat 24, Swift Current 4
The Mavericks scored runs in only four innings, but they were big ones: eight in the first, seven in the fourth and eight in the seventh did the bulk of their damage on the night.
Carter Roth had possibly the best game of the season in the WCBL at the plate for the Mavericks, going 4-for-5 with a grand slam in the fourth and knocked home no less than nine runs in total. He also crossed the plate twice. Jeremy Freeman Jr. scored four runs, while Aaron Vulcano, Tyler Vanneste, Adam Vulcano and Blake Dale all scored three runs apiece. Dale also had three RBI.
Trigg Mapes was 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI for the 57’s, Braxton Vail also hit a round tripper.
Ryan Harney allowed a run on four hits over four innings to earn the win for the Mavericks.
Jorge Maza-Leon surrendered seven runs for the 57’s while only getting one out in the first and was the losing pitcher.
Three East Division games are on tap Sunday, with Saskatoon at Moose Jaw (2:05 p.m.), Weyburn at Regina (2:05 p.m.) and Swift Current at Regina (7:05 p.m.) as the Red Sox finish off their stretch of six games in three days.
