NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Mavericks catcher Zack Stark watches a ball cross the plate in the ninth inning of the Mavs 9-4 loss Monday at Athletic Park against the Brooks Bombers.
The Medicine Hat Mavericks head into a much needed couple of days off.
The Mavs lost 9-4 Monday night at Athletic Park against the Brooks Bombers, marking their fourth loss in a row. Medicine Hat came into the contest off a 13-9 loss Sunday against the Brooks Bombers.
Brooks opened the scoring Monday with a three-run first inning. The Mavs answered back in the bottom of the third. Centre fielder Brody Gardner drove in a run with a RBI single, making it a 3-1 game.
The Bombers opened the game up in the fifth inning as they scored four times for a 7-1 lead over Medicine Hat.
Garrett Nicholson made the start for the Mavericks and was lifted in the fifth inning after allowing six runs on five hits and four walks with three strikeouts. Dylan Weaver took over and worked the final two outs of the inning while allowing one run on two hits, two walks and a strikeout.
Kyle Calzadiaz took the ball in the sixth inning and worked into the seventh before the game was put on hold due to lighting and thunder. After a forty seven minute delay, Matthew Krall took over and pitched 1.1 innings with four strikeouts while allowing two runs on three hits.
Mavs head coach Kevin Mitchell thanked the Mavs fans who stuck around and cheered them on after the delay.
“I’m glad they did, any fans who stick around through a delay like that, you have to think they’re they’re in it for the right reasons,” Mitchell said. “So to hear them chirping at the end, that was pretty cool.”
Bryce Libke pitched the ninth inning, striking out three batters while allowing only one hit.
With the Bombers scoring the seventh and eighth to jump their lead to 9-1, the Mavs made a late comeback bid in the ninth. Tory Nelson scored on a wild pitch, Johnny Vulcano scored on an outfielder error and Zach Stark scored on a sac fly to bring the Mavs within 9-4, but they couldn’t complete the comeback.
The Mavs (16-22) are off Tuesday and Wednesday before they host the Weyburn Beavers on Thursday for the first of two games against the Beavers.