SASKATOON -- The Saskatoon Berries are finding their record-setting 45th win to be rather elusive over the final week of the Western Canadian Baseball League season -- and now they have only two games left to make it happen.
The Berries fell behind early and were unable to mount a comeback at home against the Regina Red Sox on Saturday night, going on to drop a 4-2 decision. As a result, they remain tied for the most wins in a WCBL regular season, with games against Medicine Hat in Saskatoon on Sunday and Monday offering their final two chances at making the record all their own.
Other action saw the Moose Jaw Miller Express take an 8-7 rain-shortened five-inning win over the Swift Current 57’s and Weyburn Beavers down the Medicine Hat Mavericks 14-7.
Regina 4, Saskatoon 2
Regina pitcher Chris Spry apparently wanted nothing to do with being part of a Berries record-setting performance, as he turned in his most dominant outing of the season to secure the victory.
Spry pitched the complete game, holding Saskatoon to only two runs on four hits over the nine innings, striking out five and walking three.
The Red Sox provided Spry with all the offence he’d need by the third inning, putting up a run in the second and tacking on two more in the third for a 3-0 lead. Saskatoon got one back in the fourth, but Regina replied with one of their own in the fifth to regain their three-run edge. The Berries closed back within a pair in the seventh, but could get no closer.
Matthew Fox led the Red Sox at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three runs batted in.
No member of the Berries had more than one hit, with Mason Roell and Cory Wouters scoring their runs.
Michael Sall started for Saskatoon and allowed Regina’s first three runs on four hits in 2 ⅔, taking the loss.
The win was an important one for Regina, as their 28-26 record locks down third place in the East Division, meaning they’ll face the Medicine Hat Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs when they begin next week.
Moose Jaw 8, Swift Current 7
The Miller Express were likely happy Mother Nature saw to it their game would end early, as the 57’s were on their way to a comeback when the skies opened up at Ross Wells Park.
Moose Jaw had scored five runs in the second, two more in the third and another in the fourth for an 8-1 lead heading into the fifth, but Swift Current would almost tie things up with six runs in the fifth. That’s when the rains came, and the contest was eventually called.
Eduardo Saenz hit a solo home run for Moose Jaw, giving him eight on the season, one behind team leader Wil Edwards. Edwards continued his own record chase with his 20th double of the season, leaving him three off the WCBL single season record. He finished 2-for-3 with a run and RBI. Pacey Philips crossed the plate twice.
Jose Ayala, Trigg Mapes and Rydell Adair were all 2-for-3 with a run scored and RBI for the 57’s.
Jacob Glazener was the winning pitcher, allowing seven runs on 11 hits while going five innings, striking out six and walking three.
Justin Puello took the loss, allowing seven runs, only three earned, on five hits and six walks through three innings.
Moose Jaw improves to 25-29 and will finish fourth in the East, setting up a first-round playoff match-up with Saskatoon. Swift Current falls to 10-42 with their 10th-straight loss and will finish sixth in the East.
Weyburn 14, Medicine Hat 7
Medicine Hat took a 3-1 lead into the sixth inning when Weyburn’s offence came alive putting up four runs for a 5-3 edge. They kept things going after that, replying to a four-run seventh by the Mavericks with two more of their own and then blowing things open with a seven-run eighth.
Brayden Mayencourt paced Weyburn’s offence, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs and three RBI. Robert Gurney also hit a round tripper and had the same stat line as Mayencourt, while Ian Heck crossed the plate three times and Eli Hansen picked up three hits.
Tyler Vanneste was 3-for-5 with a triple, two runs and a pair of RBI.
Heck started for Weyburn and allowed seven runs, four earned, on nine hits while going seven innings. Logan Kinter tossed a scoreless eighth and ninth to pick up the win.
Gary Dornan opened for Medicine Hat and allowed a run over two innings before four pitchers took the mound the rest of the way. Tyler Cutler gave up three runs in the seventh and was the losing pitcher.
Weyburn improves to 15-39 and will finish fifth in the East, Medicine Hat improves to 34-19 and will finish second.
Medicine Hat is in Saskatoon at 1 p.m. on Sunday, while Moose Jaw is at Swift Current (4:05 p.m.) and Weyburn is at Regina (7:05 p.m.).
