BY TRUMAN BARTMAN ON JUNE 9TH, 2024. THE MAVERICKS.CA

It was a calm, cool, and collected outing from the Mavericks Saturday night as they climbed over the Weyburn Beavers 5-1. 

The Mavs were without the killer B’s last night (Brody Gardner, Brady Bean), but they still found a way to pull through when it mattered most. 

The Beavers had an early 1-0 lead after a rare balk walked in the first run. It looked like they had the game under control with Aiden Maas pitching a gem, but he exited abruptly in the middle of the third. It felt like this was the turning point for the Mavericks, and they took advantage.

Tyler Vanneste had himself a day; he had three hits and a walk on the night, and he also drove in a key run in the process. Vanneste’s hitting has reached a new level this year, as he’s currently batting .425. 

Last year, Vanneste batted .286 but still had difficulty hitting an assortment of pitches. This season, it has been must-see TV for TV as he has made pitchers pay regardless of who they are.

The Mavericks were clutched down the stretch, cashing in a couple of key insurance runs that ended up being more important than the Mavs may have initially thought. As the Beavers started to click in the 9th inning, it looked like a comeback was brewing. 

Evan Gant allowed the first few Beavers to get on base, but after a short mound visit from coach Kevin Mitchell, Gant regrouped and shut down the rest of the Beavers bats.

This post-game recap wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the spectacular performance that newbie Chris Shaffer delivered. He only threw one ball to the first three batters he faced, and he didn’t let up at all. 

For a guy who just got into town and hadn’t had a lot of time to prep, at least with the Mavericks, he pitched like he’d been here for months. If this is a sign of things to come from Shaffer, the Mavericks are going to be in good hands when it comes to pitching depth.

Shaffer’s final stat line included 3 innings pitched, 0 runs allowed on 2 hits, and 2 walks. He also struck out three beavers along the way.

Heading into game 2, the Mavericks are riding a 4-game heater and looking to create separation from the Regina Red Sox in the East standings, who sit just a game back. Weyburn’s run-producing problems continue, and after providing eight hits last night, it seems that getting runners home should be at the forefront of their focus heading into Sunday.