OKOTOKS -- The shoe was on the other foot for the Saskatoon Berries in Western Canadian Baseball League action on Wednesday night.
One game after putting together an impressive comeback to defeat the Okotoks Dawgs in Okotoks, the Berries couldn’t make an early lead stick and would drop a 9-5 decision in the battle of division leaders. Other action saw Swift Current and Weyburn split a doubleheader, with the 57’s winning the opener 2-1 and the Beavers taking the nightcap 6-1, while the Moose Jaw Miller Express rolled past the Medicine Hat Mavericks 11-2 and the Regina Red Sox took a 12-11 win over the Brooks Bombers.
Okotoks 9, Saskatoon 5
The Berries got off to a great start with runs in each of the first three innings and another two in the fourth for a 5-2 lead, but Okotoks would score three in the fifth and take the lead for good with two more in the sixth.
Nate Houston led Saskatoon’s offence with a 3-for-5 showing, while Cooper Wesslund and Rudy Gonzalez were each 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Zane Skansi went 2-for-5 with a double and four runs batted in for Okotoks, Ricardo Sanchez crossed the plate three times. Nash Crowell added a solo home run.
Preston Tocheniuk was the winning pitcher, holding Saskatoon to only four hits over the final 5 ⅓ innings. Brady Baltus got the start, allowing five runs, three earned, on six hits over 3 ⅔.
Michael Sall started for the Berries and gave up five runs on five hits in 4 ⅓ while striking out eight. Adam Beamin took the loss, allowing two runs in the fifth.
Saskatoon falls to 32-6 and sees their five-game win streak snapped, Okotoks improves to 28-13.
Regina 12, Brooks 11
It was a good night for a comeback for the Red Sox, as after falling behind 11-3 through five innings, they’d put up five in the seventh, tie the game with three in the ninth and then finish things off with a run in the top of the 10th.
Jordan Tucker had the big hit in the ninth, with his two-out single scoring Brady Bye and Rhett Hodgins to tie the game. Tucker then scored the game-winning run in the 10th when Rafael Jackson reached on an error at second base.
Jalen Meyers went 3-for-6 with a home run and two runs for Regina, Matthew Fox scored a pair of runs and knocked in a pair. Bye and James Wright had two hits each.
Troy Morrow topped Brooks' offense with a 2-for-6 showing that included a home run, two runs and four RBI while Christian Altamirano and Wyatt Ormonde also hit round trippers. Seth Reker was 3-for-6 with two RBI.
James Adcox started for Regina and allowed eight runs on nine hits over the first two innings, Sam Baker was the Red Sox most effective pitcher, holding the Bombers to two hits over 3 ⅔ innings. Calvin Shepherd picked up the win.
Lucas Mahoney went six innings for Brooks and allowed three runs on six hits and struck out six, Hudson Groh took the loss in the extra inning.
Regina improves to 22-16 with the win and are third in the East, two games back of Medicine Hat, Brooks falls to 13-25 and are sixth in the West.
Moose Jaw 11, Medicine Hat 2
The Miller Express fell behind by a couple runs early, but five-spot in the third and four more in the fourth saw to it a win would be in the books for the home team.
Thomas Soto turned in a 2-for-3 showing for Moose Jaw, hitting a double, scoring a pair of runs and knocking in two. Austin Gurney was 2-for-5 with a pair of runs and three RBI, Ben Waliczek crossed the plate three times.
Ysei Uzawa topped the Mavericks with a 3-for-4 outing, Aaron Vulcano had a pair of hits and scored a run.
It was a good night for Westin Walls on the mound, as the Express starter had a quality start allowing two runs while scattering hits over seven innings and striking out 10. Amane Kondo pitched two scoreless innings to close things out.
Tyler Spruiell was the losing pitcher, giving up five runs on two hits in 2 ⅓ innings.
Moose Jaw improves to 17-22 and remain fourth in the East, Medicine Hat falls to 25-15 and are second.
Swift Current 2, Weyburn 1
The opening game of the twinbill ended up as a low-scoring pitching duel, with Swift Current scoring a pair of runs in the fourth inning and Weyburn scoring their lone run in the fifth.
Each team had only three hits in the contest and Jaylen Gutierrez would get the better of the battle, allowing a single run on three hits over five innings to secure the victory for the 57’s. Chase Cummins tossed a scoreless sixth and Jancarlos Rodriguez finished things off, earning the save with a scoreless seventh.
Joe Hart had a solid start of his own for Weyburn, with an error on the opening play of the fourth inning to the extra run that cost him the win. Hart would finish with two runs allowed on three hits over four innings while walking three and striking out six. Logan Kinter was even more effective in relief, tossing three perfect innings and striking out three.
Trigg Mapes had the big hit in the fourth for Swift Current, with his single to centrefield knocking home Jose Ayala and Rydell Adair with the go-ahead and eventual game-winning runs.
Ryan Dauphinee scored Ryan Muizelaar with Weyburn’s only run in the fifth.
Weyburn 6, Swift Current 1
The Beavers did all the damage they needed in the third inning, scoring five runs and holding off the 57’s the rest of the way.
Owen McConnell turned in a stellar showing to earn the win, giving Weyburn a quality start while allowing a single run on six hits over six innings and striking out eight. Jamin Smith tossed a scoreless seventh to earn the save.
Broderick Bornstein was the losing pitcher, allowing five runs on six hits while striking out seven.
Mayencourt had another solid outing at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI, Muizelaar and Dauphinee also had a pair of hits each.
Casey Prychak had two hits for Swift Current.
Weyburn is now 10-29 on the season and fifth in the East, Swift Current falls to 8-30 and are sixth.
League action continues Thursday night with Saskatoon at Lethbridge, Medicine Hat at Moose Jaw, Swift Current at Weyburn and Regina at Okotoks. All start times are 7:05 p.m.
