Mavericks take third straight from Bombers in blowout fashion

By Ryan McCracken on July 23, 2018.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com @MHNMcCracken

The Medicine Hat Mavericks keep flirting with history.

Every member of the Mavericks found the hit column by the fifth inning before cruising to a 16-4 blowout over the Brooks Bombers on Sunday at Athletic Park —keeping the team’s hope for an unprecedented 40-win Western Major Baseball League season alive with their third consecutive victory.

“It’s obviously in the back of our minds but we don’t want to think about it too much, just take it one game at a time and see what we can do,” said catcher Reed Odland, whose Mavericks improved to 33-7 with eight games left on the schedule. “It’s a big season.It’s been great so far.”

Odland was one of two Mavericks to go 4-for-6 in Sunday’s lopsided win. Knowing he would be taking on a lefty in Bombers starter Quentin Kopjar, Odland says he got to the diamond early to work on his approach —and it paid off in the form of four singles and 2 RBI.

“Iknew a left-hander was pitching and I’ve struggled previously with that, soI got (Julien Ly) to throw to me in the cage and I feel like that really helped my approach,”said Odland. “Iwas seeing it well. Big thanks to Julien Ly to helping me out with that.”

Six Mavericks finished with at least two hits in the game — while designated hitter Colton Wright was 3-for-5 with 3 RBI and shortstop Carson Johnson was 2-for-2 with 2 RBIand three walks — resulting in six multiple-run innings, including a pair of four-spots in the fifth and seventh.

“We just pick each other up. If someone is struggling at the plate, the guy behind him is going to pick him up,”said Odland. “It’s a great team effort and we’re all doing it together.”

Hat starter Jared Libke — who went the distance to collect his fifth win of the year — says the steady run support made his job easy, while keeping his down time in the dugout entertaining.

“It’s so much fun to play behind these guys. They just keep building up runs every game and it takes so much stress off on the mound,”said Libke, who limited the Bombers to just one run on four hits through the first eight innings before allowing three on four more hits in the ninth. “They’re really giving me a lot of time to rest.I’m not tired out there like Ihave been in years past.”

The only Maverick who went without a base knock was pinch hitter Jaxson Hooge, who struck out after replacing Ly in the eighth inning.

Andrew Leggo put Brooks on the board with a sacrifice fly in the seventh before Damian Rodriguez and Lane Fleming added a pair of consolation home runs in the ninth.

Kopjar took the loss after allowing four runs on seven hits through three innings.

The win secured a three-game sweep over the Bombers after collecting a 10-5 victory Saturday in Brooks. Junior Pimentel earned the win in his first start of the season, holding Brooks to three runs on six hits over six innings of work.

Johnson led the offence with 1 RBIin a 3-for-3 outing.

Brooks fell to 11-31 with the losses.

The Mavericks return to Athletic Park Tuesday to host the Lethbridge Bulls (19-23) at 7:05 p.m.

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