Royals unstoppable in doubleheader sweep

By Sean Rooney on July 11, 2018.

NEWS PHOTO SEAN ROONEY
Zach Stark (16) of the Medicine Hat Moose Monarchs is unable to come up with a tough catch in foul territory Tuesday, July 10, 2018 at Athletic Park in a game against the Billings Royals.

Medicine Hat News

It wasn’t as though their pitchers were out of control, or even that they were throwing meatballs to home plate.

The Moose Monarchs’ defence wasn’t shabby, either.

It’s just that the Billings Royals kept finding green, at-bat after at-bat.

The Royals could seemingly do no wrong in the fifth inning of a 12-4 win Tuesday at Athletic Park, scoring nine times on a barrage of singles.

Starter Ethan Boutkan only walked one batter but took the loss, pulled mid-way through the decisive frame. Royals catcher Jerrett Leinwand had two hits in the inning, finishing 3-for-3 with two doubles, but his lone extra-base hit in the fifth didn’t produce a run. The Royals’ six singles were a different story.

Zack Stark went 2-for-3 for the Monarchs, who rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fifth to avoid the mercy rule. Tyler Frieders got the complete-game win, striking out eight Monarchs and allowing seven hits in seven innings.

Billings, which now leads the Montana-Alberta American Legion AA standings at 14-5, won the second half of the doubleheader 5-2. Again, it was the fifth inning that proved to be the difference, though this time Billings only got one run in the frame —Leinwand doubling and scoring on an error with two outs.

Ashtyn Street’s two-out, RBI double in the fourth was followed by a Cavan Kolody RBI single to tie the game, if only briefly. Street also pitched five innings, labelled with the loss despite holding the Royals to six hits and only one earned run. Medicine Hat falls to 5-12, second-last in the league standings

Cade Torgerson went 6 2/3 innings, striking out nine Monarchs for the win.

Knights

Meanwhile in Vauxhall, the K of C Knights dropped a 16-6 decision.

Brett Gray hit a home run, Carson Becker was 3-for-3 with four runs and the home team invoked the mercy rule with a five-run sixth inning.

Heydon Harrison took the loss for Medicine Hat, though he also went 2-for-4 at the plate with a run and an RBI.

Jayden Bexte went all six innings for the Spurs, letting up seven hits for the win.

The Knights return home Thursday to play the Lewistown Redbirds in a doubleheader at Athletic Park.