BY JAMES TUBB ON JULY 22, 2022.
Medicine Hat Mavericks fans got their moneys worth Friday night at Athletic Park.
The Mavericks battled with the Weyburn Beavers until the 11th inning where the Mavericks fell 6-5. Both WCBL clubs were tied at 1-1 heading into the ninth inning when the Mavericks almost took the walk off victory.
Medicine Hat head coach Tyler Jeske said the loss was one of the most wild games he’s been a part of.
“I look back at it and I thought out at bats we’re good, we were finding a lot of barrels, we were hitting the ball hard and having good at bats early in the game,” Jeske said. “It wasn’t falling and we were hitting it right at people. What I go back to is base running.”
After a one out double from Andrew Savage and second basemen Kellen Williamson pinch running in the ninth inning, designated hitter Hunter Cooper hit a double that hugged the left field foul line. As Williamson rounded third base he appeared to slip on something and almost scored after getting up but was called out at the plate to force extra innings.
Mavericks pitcher Nate Ewing was on the mound to start the 1oth inning that got underway with runners on first and second due to the WCBL’s extra inning rule. Weyburn capitalized on the starting runners and scored three runs in the frame to take a 4-1 lead.
The Mavericks answered back in the 10th with a two RBI double from Ewing who later scored on a wild pitch to tie the game up at 4-4 and force the 11th.
Weyburn again got on the bats and scored two runs in the extra frame to lead 6-4. The Mavericks got within one on a RBI single from right fielder David Dell but after having a runner picked off the Mavericks failed to scored the tying run and fell 6-5.
Ewing picked up the loss on the mound with three strikeouts in his two innings pitched. Mathew Krall started the game for the Mavericks and had a strong outing, working six innings with seven strikeouts. He handed the ball to Hunter Boylan in the seventh inning and the lefty work three frames with three strikeouts of his own. Jeske said it was Krall’s best start of the season.
“Matt Krall was outstanding, that was the best start he’s had. He was really extremely efficient. Attacked hitters, was in the zone getting ahead of guys, for the most part did a nice job of controlling his effort level and his emotions where he’s kind of just able to stay neutral and do his thing, to me that was critical,” Jeske said. “You look at Boylan, he comes in and puts up zeros, Ewing did what he does, he competes.”
Weyburn opened the scoring on the night with a run in the fourth that was followed up by a sacrifice hit from Savage that scored centre fielder Braden DeSonia from third after he hit a triple.
The Mavericks(15-28) are off Saturday and Sunday for the WCBL’s all-star game before heading to Regina for a four game in three day set kicking off with a double header Monday. That road series is the beginning of 10 games in nine days for the Mavericks as the end of their season draws near. Jeske said he hopes the players take advantage of the couple days rest as they get ready for a sprint to the end.
“We’re hitting the sprint to the finish line and with two days off it’s like hey, take advantage of it, rest,” Jeske said.