Mavs open 6-game road trip with win Tuesday

By James Tubb on July 1, 2025.

Medicine Hat News

The Medicine Hat Mavericks kicked off their West division road trip in winning fashion.

The Mavs battled the Sylvan Lake Gulls in a pitchers duel on the road, scoring three runs in the first two innings and holding on for the 3-2 win.

Starter Danny Retzlaff was credited with the win, working 4.2 innings allowing two runs on five hits and three walks, recording three strikeouts. Xander Roberts came out of the bullpen in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and two outs, inducing a fly ball to escape the jam.

He cruised through three frames, stranding a leadoff walk in the seventh and a leadoff single in the ninth for the win. Roberts had four strikeouts in the win, a bounce-back effort for the starter after being lifted in the first inning of Sunday’s 12-6 loss at Athletic Park to the Saskatoon Berries.

The Mavs opened the offence Tuesday night with a two-run first inning.

Centre fielder Jeremy Freeman Jr. drew a four-pitch walk, moving up to second on an errant pickoff move before scoring on an RBI double from designated hitter Aaron Vulcano. The middle Vulcano brother scored on an RBI single from second baseman Carter Roth for the 2-0 lead.

They added to the lead in the top of the second. Left fielder Adam Vulcano, who led off the frame with a single, moved to third base on a ground out and sacrifice fly before scoring the eventual game winner on a wild pitch.

Gulls’ starter Matthew Mackenzie threw five innings, allowing the three runs on three hits and four walks, striking out seven. Sylvan Lake utilized three relievers who held the Mavs’ hitless, recording three strikeouts while surrendering two walks.

Sylvan Lake recorded their offence in the bottom of the second, scoring the pair of runs on three hits and a walk.

That was as close as the Gulls got as the Mavs’ worked their way through defensively, limiting Sylvan Lake to three hits in the last seven innings of the game. The Gulls outhit the Mavs 6-3, also committing the lone error of the game. Third baseman Tyler Vanneste had eight defensive assists on the night, working a could-be golden glove at the hot corner.

The Mavs (18-10) are back at Sylvan Lake on Wednesday for a rematch with the Gulls before they head to Fort McMurray on Thursday for the first of two games against the Giants.

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