SASKATOON -- As has been the case all season, it didn’t take long for the Saskatoon Berries to get back on the winning track after a loss in Western Canadian Baseball League action.
One night after a close loss at the hands of the Okotoks Dawgs, the Berries scored three runs in an inning four times and went on to a 13-2 victory over the Lethbridge Bulls in Lethbridge. The news wasn’t as good for two other Saskatchewan teams playing out west, as the Regina Red Sox fell 9-3 to Okotoks and the Moose Jaw Miller Express dropped a 12-1 decision to the Medicine Hat Mavericks. Back home, the Weyburn Beavers took a 9-2 win over the Swift Current 57’s.
Saskatoon 13, Lethbridge 2
The Bulls scored their only runs in the first inning, after which Saskatoon put up three in the second, fourth, sixth and ninth frames to secure the lopsided win.
Abiam Medina had a solid outing at the plate for Saskatoon, going 3-for-6 with a home run, double, two runs scored and four RBI. Cooper Wesslund had a pair of hits and crossed the plate three times, Carter Beck and Ethan Menard scored a pair of runs each.
Carter Claerhout had a two-run home run in the opening inning for Lethbridge.
Merek Yeager got the start for the Berries and settled down after the two-run first, going five innings and shutting out the Bulls the rest of his outing, allowing four hits. Clay Mixon, Alex Chumrau and Carson Obrecht held Lethbridge without a hit the rest of the way.
Maxim Mrakovcic allowed seven runs on nine hits over five innings for the Bulls, striking out seven while taking the loss.
Saskatoon is now 34-6 and 8 ½ games clear of Medicine Hat in first place in the East. Lethbridge falls to 25-13 and are third in the West.
Okotoks 9, Regina 3
The Red Sox took a 3-2 lead into the eighth inning when Okotoks suddenly saw their bats come alive, scoring seven runs to blow the game wide open.
The Dawgs’ Ricardo Sanchez had a single hit in the game, but it was a big one, as he laced a grand slam to provide the key hit in Okotoks’ big inning. Logan Grant added a double to his ledger and crossed the plate twice, Zane Skansi was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI.
Brady Bye was 2-for-3 with a double and RBI for the Red Sox, Rafael Jackson crossed the plate twice.
Gavin Wuschke had a stellar outing for Okotoks on the mound, allowing three runs, one earned, on five hits while going seven innings and striking out eight. Chase Tucker pitched the final 1 ⅓ innings and took the win.
Colton Anderson also had a quality start for Regina giving up two runs on four hits and striking out eight in six innings. Nicolas Yard gave up the go-ahead run in the eighth and took the loss.
Regina is now 22-17 and remain third in the East, three games back of Medicine Hat, Okotoks is 29-13 and first in the West.
Medicine Hat 12, Moose Jaw 1
The middle innings weren’t kind to the Miller Express, as the Mavericks put up five runs in the fourth and another five in the fifth to pull away for good.
Jeremy Freeman Jr. was swinging the hot bat for Medicine Hat, going 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and six RBI. Micah Dvorak also hit a round tripper and crossed the plate three times, while Johnny Vulcano hit his 10th double of the season and knocked in three runs.
Tanner DeGrazia had another good game at the plate for Moose Jaw, going 2-for-3 and bringing home Austin Gurney with the Miller Express’ lone run in the ninth. Will Edwards also had a pair of hits.
Gary Dornan was the winning pitcher, holding Moose Jaw scoreless while allowing only three hits over five innings of work.
Andres Zarate started for the Express and took the loss after giving up five runs, two earned, on two hits in 3 ⅔ innings.
Moose Jaw falls to 17-24 and are six games back of Regina in fourth place. Medicine Hat improves to 26-15.
Weyburn 9, Swift Current 2
The Beavers steadily chipped away on offence all night, building a 6-1 lead before putting up three in the eighth.
Noah Brooks had his best game of the season at the plate for Weyburn, belting a pair of home runs and finishing 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI. Ryan Muizelaar hit a pair of doubles and crossed the plate three times, while Robert Gurney also scored a pair of runs. Luke Malzewski and Brayden Mayencourt each had two RBI.
Casey Prychak and Luis Ayala scored the 57’s runs.
Ethan Webster had a great outing on the mound and picked up the win for Weyburn, holding the Beavers to a single hit over seven innings and striking out 11 while walking only one.
Shunta Furuya allowed five runs on seven hits in 3 ⅔ and took the loss.
Weyburn improves to 11-29 and are 6 ½ games back of Moose Jaw for the final playoff spot in the East, Swift Current falls to 8-31 and remain in sixth in the East.
League action continues Friday night with Saskatoon at Lethbridge, Regina at Okotoks, Moose Jaw at Medicine Hat and Weyburn at Swift Current, with all games starting at 7:05 p.m.
