Mavericks hold on for 6-5 win in Weyburn

By James Tubb on July 2, 2022.

The Medicine Hat Mavericks had a nail biter on the road Saturday night.

The bases were loaded with two outs in the bottom of the ninth but the Mavericks held on for the 6-5 win over the Weyburn Beavers.

Mavericks head coach Tyler Jeske said the win showed him the grit of the team.

“You go back through the game and some of the opportunities where we missed the chance to pile on some runs but overall an outstanding win,” Jekse said.

Mavericks right fielder David Dell had two hits and a run scored in the win. He said it’s nice to get the result to snap their rough skid.

“It’s good, it was a very close game, especially after losing the last couple games it’s good to get back in the win column,” Dell said. “It’s good to get back and hopefully (we) keep it going.”

Medicine Hat entered the contest on the heels of three losses in a row, with the freshest being a 2-0 defeat by the Swift Current 57’s at Athletic Park on Friday. The Mavericks were held to two runs over that trio of losses.

Come Saturday, the Mavericks wasted no time getting on the board, putting up four runs in the first inning.

An RBI double from centre fielder Braden DeSonia opened the scoring. Shortstop Nate Ade knocked in another run with an RBI single before DeSonia scored on a passed ball.

First basemen Hunter Boylan capped off the inning with an RBI single of his own.

Both teams were held off the scoreboard until the fourth when Weyburn scored their first of the contest. They added another in the fifth to cut the Mavs lead in half.

Mavericks starter Keon Burkholder’s day was done in the fifth as he left with one out. Burkholder had four strikeouts in his outing. Ethan Bromley took over on the bump and worked two and a third innings with one strikeout.

Medicine Hat left fielder Austin Cappas added an insurance run with an RBI single in the sixth.

The Beavers added two runs on passed balls in the seventh to crawl within one. Isaiah Bartels took over for Bromley with two outs and runners on first and second.

After an infield hit to load the bases, Bartels got the final out and worked a clean eighth inning with a strikeout. The Mavericks added one more run in the top of the 9th on a RBI single from second basemen Kellan Williamson. Bartels was credited with Saturday’s win on the bump.

Nate Ewing shifted from third base to the mound in the ninth looking to close the game.

The first Weyburn batter of the inning reached on a walk before ending up on third base after an error to the next batter. A hit by pitch loaded the bases and a walk five pitches later brought in a runner to cut the Mavs lead to one.

But Ewing struck out the final batter as the Mavericks held on for the 6-5 win. Ewing, who had three strikeouts in his lone inning of work, picked up his first save of the season on the Mavericks with the win. He said he felt good coming out of the bullpen and said he loved the emotion of how the game ended.

Medicine Hat and Weyburn exchanged pleasantries throughout the contest and capped it off after the final pitch. Ewing said the chirping back and forth gets him going stronger.

The Mavericks(10-16) are back in action Sunday night in Weyburn for a 7:05 p.m. contest. Jeske said his message to the team was to control their emotions during the rematch.

“Being able to remain neutral and focusing on what we do and what we need to do to win baseball games,” Jeske said. “What other teams do, we can’t control, we have zero power over that. The only thing we have power over, is ourselves. We need to say, you have to beat us, you have to come up to our level and not sink down to any opponents level.”

Editors note: A previous edition of the story did not state the winning pitcher of Saturday’s game. Isaiah Bartels was credited with the win. 

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