SASKATOON -- With just over three weeks left in the Western Canadian Baseball League season, the Saskatoon Berries have become the first team to book their spot in the playoffs.
The Berries rolled to an 18-2 win over the Swift Current 57’s in Saskatoon on Saturday night and saw their record improve to 30-5, meaning they can finish no lower than fourth place in the West Division standings. As a result -- and to no one’s surprise -- they’ll officially be in action when the postseason begins during the first week of August.
Other action Saturday night saw the Regina Red Sox sweep both ends of a doubleheader, taking 11-1 and 8-5 victories over the Beavers in Weyburn, while the Moose Jaw Miller Express took a 6-4 win over the Mavericks in Medicine Hat.
Saskatoon 18, Swift Current 2
The win in Swift Current sees the Berries holding a 22 ½ game lead over the East Division fifth-place Beavers, and with 21 games remaining in the 56-game regular season, their victory Saturday was enough to get the playoff spot locked down.
They did it in style, too, scoring three runs in each of the first two innings before scoring four in the third, fourth and fifth frames to take the lopsided victory.
Saskatoon cranked out five home runs on the night, with Carter Beck, Ethan Menard, Ethan Murdoch, Corey Wouters and Mason Roell all hitting round trippers.
Murdoch had a perfect game at the plate, going 5-for-5, scoring three runs and knocking in a pair. Wouters, Roell, and Jaylen Freeman each had three hits and scored three runs, while Menard also had three hits and knocked in three runs. Beck capped his night with four runs batted in.
Jose Ayala led Swift Current’s offence, going 2-for-4 and hitting a solo home run in the fourth.
Matt Whitney was the winning pitcher, allowing two runs on eight hits over six innings.
Ryker Ratcliff took the loss, giving up seven runs, four earned, on six hits in the first two frames.
Swift Current falls to 7-28 and remain sixth in the East Division.
Moose Jaw 6, Medicine Hat 4
Will Edwards reached base on a two-out error to the shortstop in the top of ninth inning, leading to Thomas Soto and Tanner DeGrazia crossing the plate with the go-ahead and insurance runs.
All-Star reliever Nathan Pisio saw to it there would be no comeback from there, getting into a bit of a jam in the bottom of the ninth before forcing Evan Morrison into a game-ending double play for his third save of the season.
DeGrazia finished 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, while Eduardo Saenz hit a solo home run in the fifth.
Aaron Vulcano was 2-for-4 with a double, run scored and RBI to lead the Mavericks offence.
Aiden Scheetz started for Moose Jaw and allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits in 3 ⅔ innings. Westin Walls picked up the win after allowing a single run on two hits in the ninth.
Luis Diaz had a quality start for Medicine Hat, giving up four runs, two earned on eight hits over six innings, Ryan Harney allowed the winning runs in the ninth and took the loss.
The Miller Express are now 16-20 and remain fourth in the East Division, 4 ½ games back of Regina. Medicine Hat is 24-14 and second in the East.
Regina 11, Weyburn 1
The Red Sox took a 4-1 lead into the seventh inning before racking seven runs and blowing things open.
WCBL teams play seven-inning games during doubleheaders.
Michael Fox finished a double away from hitting for the cycle for Regina, going 3-for-3 with triple, home run, two runs and two RBI. Brady Bye also hit a round tripper and was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Rafael Jackson also crossed the plate twice. Jordan Tucker picked up three hits.
Alex Alva was 2-for-4 for the Beavers.
Blake Johnson pitched a complete game for the Red Sox, allowing a single unearned run on four hits while striking out five.
Logan Kinter took the loss, giving up four runs on nine hits in 4 ⅓.
Regina 8, Weyburn 5
The Beavers got off to a great start with a five-run first inning in the nightcap, but Regina clawed back four of those runs in the fourth and then put up four more in the sixth to secure their fifth-straight win.
Tucker only needed a single to hit for the cycle, as he finished 3-for-4 with a double, triple and home run, scoring a pair of runs and knocking in three. Riley Bender was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, Jackson and Rhett Hodgins had a pair of RBI each.
Brayden Mayencourt had a double and three RBI for Weyburn.
Nicolas Yard started for Saskatoon and allowed the five runs in the first but settled down from there, going 3 ⅔ and giving up four hits while striking out four. Calvin Shepherd pitched the final 3 ⅓ and allowed a single hit to earn the win.
Dylan Parton surrendered four runs on five hits for the Beavers, Jamin Smith gave up four runs in the sixth and was the losing pitcher.
Regina is now 20-15 and have closed within 2 ½ games of Medicine Hat for second in the East Weyburn falls to 8-28 and remain in fifth in the East with their seventh straight loss.
Four Saskatchewan teams are in action Sunday, with the Swift Current at Saskatoon (1 p.m.) and Moose Jaw at Regina (4 p.m.)
