Patience pays off in Game 3

By Ryan McCracken on August 9, 2018.

srooney@medicinehatnews.com @MHNRooney

Patience, they preached after giving up a seven-run inning Tuesday.

Patience, they preached again after going down three runs Wednesday.

Finally, the Medicine Hat Mavericks rewarded themselves, staying the course and exploding for a 14-3 win over the Edmonton Prospects in Game 3 of their Western Major Baseball League semifinal series.

Now up two games to one, they’ll try to win the best-of-five series tonight back at Re/Max Field. At worst, they’ll return home Friday for Game 5.

“Guys were extremely fired up, that’s huge,” said Mavs head coach Andrew Murphy. “Everyone knows about the struggles we’ve had playing in Edmonton. It gives us confidence more than anything else.”

Back-to-back six-run innings showed every bit of Medicine Hat’s league-best offence, starting with Zack Gray’s two-run home run in the fourth frame.

Jaxson Hooge hit a three-run double off the left-field wall to punctuate the first six-spot, while Sal Rodriguez knocked a two-run double as part of a six-run fifth for the visitors, who had lost Game 3 each of the last two years in Edmonton but hope whatever curse the Prospects had on them might now be lifted.

“Hopefully,” said Murphy, an assistant coach last year before getting the promotion. “That thought slipped into my mind for a half second (after the early deficit), then Gray hit the bombÉ

“Guys just decided to hit.”

Starting pitcher Jumpei Akunama settled down after giving up four straight hits to start the game, including an RBI triple from third baseman Anthony Cusati which Murphy said was misplayed by centre-fielder David Salgueiro. No more Edmonton players reached second base again until the sixth inning, when Cusati doubled to left field, but the Mavs threw out Nick Spillman trying to score.

It was the second out made at home plate by Medicine Hat’s defence, as Michael Gahan was thrown out by Salgueiro to limit the first-inning damage.

“That was big, Jumpei was stuttering through the inning,” said Murphy. “Salgueiro let a line drive go over his head, it happens, but Jumpei was unbelievable after that. He had the eye of the tiger look after that.”

Akanuma went seven innings for the win. Connor Burns took the loss, pulled in the fourth-inning rally.

Medicine Hat will throw Jared Libke in Thursday’s Game 4, presumably against Edmonton ace Rich Walker. Walker, who threw the WMBL’s first-ever perfect game this summer and also has two other complete game shutouts to his credit, got the series-clinching win over Okotoks last week in the first round of playoffs.

For Murphy, whose team plated five runs against Walker in six innings of a 13-10 win July 7, the key will be no surprise.

“The biggest thing we do is hit with two strikes. We did damage. We really want to punch first tomorrow, put them in an even bigger hole than they already are,” he said.

In the Eastern Division finals, Weyburn beat Regina 10-3 Wednesday to take a 2-1 series lead. Corey Wheaton and Corey Harrell each went 4-for-5 with a home run for the Beavers, who will look to clinch a spot in the finals tonight in Regina.

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