One step closer to history

By Ryan McCracken on July 21, 2018.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com @MHNMcCracken

The Medicine Hat Mavericks took one step closer to making Western Major Baseball League history with a 9-1 blowout victory over the Brooks Bombers on Friday at Athletic Park.

With a league-leading 31-7 record, the Mavericks have already tied Medicine Hat’s third-best win total in franchise history — a mark set back in 2012. While the Mavericks have clinched a spot in the post-season and sit just eight away from the WMBL-record 39-win mark with 10 games left in the season, catcher Colton Wright says this team’s only concern is a championship.

“For us, I don’t really think it means anything,”Wright said prior to Friday’s win. “It’s a privilege, don’t get me wrong, but we’re just trying to find a way to win every game, stay healthy and keep coming together as a team.”

Hat right fielder Jordan Dray led the offensive push with a bases-clearing double in the fourth and an RBIgroundout in the fifth to finish his night at 2-for-4 with 4 RBI. Shortstop Carson Johnson followed up with 2 RBI.

Mavericks starting pitcher Matt Brooks kept the Bombers off balance to collect the victory. The Abbotstown, Penn., product improved to 4-0 on the season, after limiting the Bombers to a single run on five hits through seven complete innings of work.

Julien Ly held the Bombers off the board with a one-hit eighth, then Medicine Hat’s own Alex Andres took the hill to close out the game with a clean ninth inning.

Bombers starter Juan Carreon took the loss after allowing a run on a hit through three innings. Reliever Quentin Kopjar entered in the fourth and allowed eight runs on seven hits over the next four frames.

Britt Logan knocked in the lone run for Brooks on a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

The victory is Medicine Hat’s seventh in the past 10 games, but Wright says the team will need to keep a cool head in order to carry their pace over into the best-of-five format of the playoffs.

“It’s really important. That loss the other night in Edmonton, we definitely got back on the bus and some guys had some attitude. Losing a game like that in extras, that sucks, especially against a team we definitely have not played our best baseball against,” said Wright. “We understand anything can happen in five games. In the season every game matters, but when it comes down to the end, the team that shows up ready to play at the end is the team that’s going to take it all. The team that’s got more heart, that’s the team that’s going to win it all and I feel like that’s going to be us.”

The Mavericks hit the road to Brooks for a game on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. before both teams return to Athletic Park to close out the three-game set Sunday at 2:05 p.m.

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