REGINA -- The Saskatoon Berries are quickly turning into the road warriors of the Western Canadian Baseball League playoffs.
Facing elimination away from home for the second time this postseason, the Berries would put up a pair of three-run innings and go on to an 8-4 victory over the Regina Red Sox in Game 2 of the East Division Final on Monday night.
As a result, the series is all tied up, with the third and deciding game set for Tuesday night in Saskatoon.
Regina took an early 2-1 lead thanks to runs in each of the first two innings, but Saskatoon would go ahead for good with a three-spot in the top of the fifth.
Ethan Menard knocked home Jalen Freeman with the tying run and then came around to score on a single by Nate Houston, followed by Mason Roell scoring on a wild pitch for a 4-2 lead.
It was a 5-4 Berries edge in the top of the seventh when Freeman doubled to bring home Cory Wouters and Bailyn Sorensen with a pair of insurance runs. Wouters had knocked home Houston earlier in the inning, and Saskatoon would come away with an 8-4 lead.
The Berries’ bullpen went to work from there, with Clay Mixon giving up a single hit while holding Regina scoreless in the bottom of the seventh before Colin Plain finished things off, allowing two hits and striking out three over the final two frames.
Matt Whitney started for Saskatoon and allowed two runs on four hits over three innings. Klevert Martina picked up the win after giving up two runs on six hits over the next 2 ⅓ frames.
Landon Riley got the start for Regina and surrendered four runs, three earned, on four hits over five innings; Colton Bank went the rest of the way and allowed four runs, two earned, on five hits.
Carter Beck also had a decent game at the plate for Saskatoon, going 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.
Rafael Jackson was 2-for-5 with a pair of runs for Regina, Ian Montz and James Wright each went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
The teams will decide who advances to the WCBL Championship Series on Tuesday night, with first pitch at 7 p.m. at the NexGen Patch.
The winner of that contest will advance to face the Sylvan Lake Gulls, who finished off the West Division Final with an 8-4 win over the Okotoks Dawgs on Tuesday.
