(Photo by Colton McKee, coltonmckeephotography.com) 

BY TRUMAN BARTMAN. THEMAVERICKS.CA

Now winners of 10 straight at home, the Mavericks get set to face the Saskatoon Berries for the second night in a row, after what was a captivating finish last evening. 

In a game that saw the Berries trailing 6-0 early on, the Mavericks were not able to keep their offence at bay for long. Saskatoon evened up the score late thanks to a Bailyn Sorenson single, and it seemed as though extra innings were on the way.

Tyler Vanneste and Carter Roth had other plans. Vanneste began the bottom of the 9th with a triple, which set the stage for Roth. It didn’t take long before Roth pushed a single into right field, scoring Vanneste. As a result, the Mavericks clinched their first win of the season over the Berries, gaining ground on them in the East Division.


Fortunately for the Berries, they have a chance to redeem themselves with a rematch set to occur at 7:05 pm this evening. It will be interesting to see what the Berries response is to losing, as prior to last night they’d only dropped 2 games all year. Championship-calibre teams always find a way to regroup, and the Berries look to prove that they can do just that. 

In order to get back into the win column, Saskatoon will be banking on Carter Beck and Nathan Houston to find their swings. The two went a combined 2/9 at the plate, which isn’t something that the Berries are used to seeing from their stars. 

The Mavericks, on the other hand, have gotten used to Xander Roberts striking out opposing batters. The Tabor College product has emerged as Medicine Hat’s ace in 2025, holding a 2.29 ERA. Roberts proved he can play at a high level, no matter the opponent, after he helped the Mavs beat the Okotoks Dawgs in his most recent start. He will get another opportunity to prove why he is among the WCBL’s best against Saskatoon.

Whether or not this game will be played is still up in the air, but the anticipation for this one has remained high. After the show that these two put on Thursday, there’s no telling what might be in store this time around. 

A damp Athletic Park will host game 2 of the second regular season series as the Mavericks aim to make it 11 in a row at home, while the Berries look to increase their 1st place lead.