NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Mavericks starter Dylan Esquival delivers a pitching in the Mavs 12-2 loss Saturday at Athletic Park against the Regina Red Sox.
Fireworks flew early Saturday night at the expense of the Medicine Hat Mavericks.
The Mavs allowed three home runs in a 12-2 loss at Athletic Park against the Regina Red Sox.
Head coach Kevin Mitchell says they just got beat and Regina punished them for their mistakes.
“From the standpoint of the game I’m not going to read too much within that I think that’s about as good as those guys have swung it and can swing it in the game, Mitchell said. “The good thing about the schedule this season is we could come back and do it again tomorrow, especially against them.”
The Mavs entered Saturday’s contest after an off day Friday, their first in nine days and after 10 straight game. They were riding a three game winning streak.
Medicine Hat opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning with a RBI single from shortstop Tyler Vanneste. Regina didn’t wait long to answer back and did so in a big way.
The Red Sox put up six runs in the top of the third off starter Dylan Esquival for a 6-1 lead. Esquival pitched into the fifth inning, working 4-1 innings with six strikeouts while allowing seven runs and a walk with nine hits.
Kyle Calzadiaz came into the game in the fifth inning and recorded the final two outs, both strikeouts, allowing only one hit.
Casey Henderson took the Mavs mound in the sixth inning and pitched two innings before running into trouble in the eighth. He was lifted after allowing five runs on a walk and six hits. Lucas Teel took over for the final two innings, striking out two while allowing two walks and two hits.
After being held hitless after the second, The Mavs were outhit 18-6 in the game, Medicine Hat got back on the board in the eighth.
Local product Zach Stark entered the game as a pinch hitter and drove the fourth pitch he saw over the fence in right centre field.
“Zach Stark coming into the game, everyday he shows up with a smile on his face, works his butt off and in his hometown on Canada Day, coming in for his first bat and hit a homerun, that was pretty special,” Mitchell said.
The 1,630 Mavs fans in attendance held on until the final out before the Red Sox dispatched the home team and handed them the 12-2loss.
Mitchell was one awe of the Canada Day crowd and wished they had a better outcome to cheer for.
“It was hard to find an empty seat up there looking around,” Mitchell said. “My fiancé was in town, so that was cool, the weather was great, it was about what I expected. People talked it up pretty heavily and it met those expectations, everything except for the result on the field.”
The Mavs fall back to a 15-15 record after the loss, remaining in second place of the WCBL’s East division. They have another shot at the Red Sox at Athletic Park on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. Mitchell wants to see how well his team can turn the page after the loss heading into a new day and new game.
“It’s a sign of maturity if you can flush what just happened and that’s not just day-to-day, that’s also at bat-to-at bat or pitch-to-pitch,” Mitchell said. “But definitely come back tomorrow against those guys with a chip on their shoulder, hope our guys show up.”
