NEWS PHOTO RYAN MCCRACKEN - Medicine Hat Mavericks third baseman Taylor Wright loses control of a one-hopper during a Western Canadian Baseball League game against the Lethbridge Bulls on July 11, 2019 at Athletic Park.
When the Western Canadian Baseball League playoffs begin Thursday, Moose Jaw will head to Regina, Weyburn will start at Swift Current and Edmonton will be in Okotoks for the first round.
But Medicine Hat and Lethbridge? Thanks to a 9-6 Mavericks win on the road Monday, that series’ starting point has yet to be decided.
Medicine Hat never trailed in front of 1,456 fans at Spitz Stadium, getting massive top-of-the-order production and key outs from the bullpen to take the win.
Collin Klingensmith was 4-for-5 with 4 RBI and two runs, both times driven in by Austin Sojka who was 2-for-2 with 3 RBI, two walks and a run.
Bryce Libke lasted four innings and left with a 5-3 lead. But the most important outs came from Austin Oulds who stranded the bases loaded in the fifth, then left two more Bulls aboard despite giving up an unearned run in the sixth. He was credited with the win, throwing 1 2/3 innings and striking out three.
Junior Pimentel also didn’t give up an earned run, going three innings for a save and stranding four more runners.
Cal Tecklenburg took the loss for the Bulls, who earlier in the day announced on social media they’ve added two more pitchers to their roster – with two days left before playoffs.
Dylan Borman went 2-for-5 with a triple.
Now 30-24, the Mavs are a half-game ahead of the 30-25 Bulls with a game in hand in the 56-game regular season. Lethbridge wins the season series 5-3 so Medicine Hat needs to finish ahead in the standings to earn home field advantage in the new best-of-three series format.
Medicine Hat hosts division winner Okotoks tonight, 7:05 p.m. at Athletic Park needing to win and hope Lethbridge loses to last-place Brooks. Barring that they finish a postponed game at Okotoks Wednesday.
Elsewhere in the league, Edmonton beat Brooks 12-7 to clinch the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western Division. They won seven straight to eliminate Fort McMurray, which beat last-place Eastern team Yorkton 20-0 and 16-3.
Regina beat Melville 11-3 to clinch top spot in their division ahead of Swift Current.
