It wasn’t pretty, but Mavs pick up win 13

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on June 20, 2025.

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com

The Medicine Hat Mavericks picked up another big win ahead of a four-game home stand to finish the week.

It wasn’t easy, as the Mavs narrowly avoided blowing a 13-1 lead Wednesday night, winning 13-12 at Swift Current over the 57’s. Medicine Hat came into the contest off a 6-3 win at home over the Brooks Bombers.

Medicine Hat scored first in the contest, getting on the board in the opening inning. A leadoff double from centre fielder Jeremy Freeman Jr. saw him move to second base on a walk by infielder Carter Roth and then to third on a walk by catcher Jaden Babiuk. Freeman Jr. scored on a bases loaded hit by pitch, with infielder Blake Dale earning a bruise and the RBI.

They blew open the game in the middle innings, scoring 12 runs across three innings to lead 13-2 after six frames.

A four-run fourth inning saw Micah Dvorak blast a three-run home run, his fourth long ball of his sophomore season in the WCBL. Infielder Tyler Vanneste drove in another run, scoring Freeman Jr. from third on a sacrifice fly. The 57’s got on the board in the bottom of that frame, scoring a pair of runs on back-to-back RBI singles.

The Mavs scored another two runs in the fifth, again utilizing the long ball. After watching two pickoff attempts to first base, Medicine Hat product Evan Morrison uncoiled on the third pitch he saw, launching his first of two home runs on the evening.

They piled on in the sixth inning, scoring six times for the 13-1 lead.

Vanneste and Roth each drove in a run with RBI singles, their 16th and 18th on the year respectively. Both coincidently scored on catcher errors, with Vanneste scoring on a wild pitch and Roth racing home on a pass ball. The Mavs capped off the explosive frame with Morrison’s second home run of the night, another two-run blast for his fourth long ball on the season and the 12-run lead.

Tyler Spruiell started the game for the Mavs on the mound, working three shutout innings, allowing just one hit and three walks, striking out six batters. Gary Dornan took over and worked two innings, collecting the win. He allowed two runs on four hits, striking out a pair.

The 57’s jumped back into the game swiftly, scoring 10 runs in the top of the seventh inning to cut the Mavs lead to 13-12. They had just four hits in the frame, as the four Mavs’ pitchers working in the frame allowed six walks. Graham Stack worked a clean sixth inning, allowing no base runners, before surrendering three runs in the seventh on a hit and two walks. Carter Klapak took over, surrendering a pair of walks, being charged with three runs against. Garrick Levesque recorded the first two outs of the inning, also allowing four runs on tow hits and two walks.

Diego Centella got the Mavs out of the frame, allowing a hit before an inning-ending strikeout.

Luis Diaz took over on the mound in the eighth and despite a two-out single, worked a clean enough frame to keep the Mavs ahead heading to the ninth. In the final frame, another single saw the 57’s have the tying run on base as they clung to the hope of completing the comeback. Medicine Hat held on as Diaz recorded a pair of strikeouts to preserve the win.

Swift Current outhit the Mavs 11-10, the 57’s also committed the only two errors in the game.

The Mavs (13-6) returned to Athletic Park on Thursday for the first of a four-game home stand. They hosted the red hot first-place Saskatoon Berries, the first of two straight against their East division foe. That game was not complete by press time. The Mavs face the Berries again tonight at 7:05 p.m. before they open a two-game set against the Moose Jaw Miller Express on Saturday and Sunday at Athletic Park.

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