Mavs fall 18-5 Saturday at Athletic Park

By James Tubb on July 8, 2023.

The Medicine Hat Mavericks were on the wrong side of a blowout Saturday.

The Mavs lost 18-5 at Athletic Park against the Sylvan Lake Gulls. Medicine Hat came into the contest off a 5-4 loss Friday at Swift Current against the 57’s.

Head coach Kevin Mitchell says they got beat in every aspect of the game and that it’s an unacceptable way to lose.

”We know that we’re better than that and it’s a shame when a game goes sideways to that extent, it hurts and it should hurt,” Mitchell said.

The Mavs have lost their last five games at Athletic Park and have only won twice in ether last 10 home games. Having bloated losses like Saturday’s come at home makes it even harder to take Mitchell says.

”As a group we talked about this home stand we are on for the next 12 or 13 days and we haven’t played very well at home to this point but we wanted to get off on a better foot of this home stand,”Mitchell said. “Obviously, we weren’t able to do that, but it does hurt more. These fans care so much about this team in this town and the guys understand that, that’s not lost on them. So I would say if anything, it’s unfortunate it went the way that it did.”

The first two frames Saturday were scoreless before Sylvan Lake got on the board early and often. The Gulls scored two runs in the third before piling on six unanswered in the fourth inning. They plated four more runs in the top of the fifth, which was answered by two Medicine Hat runs, but still put the Gulls ahead 11-2 after five innings.

Medicine Hat’s offence came from an RBI from second baseman Brady Bean and a sacrifice play off the bat of centre fielder Brody Gardner. The Mavs carried their momentum into the sixth, scoring three more runs to chip away at the lead.

A sac play off Bean’s bat was followed up with a two-RBI single from designated hitter Bret Carrell, making it a 12-5 game after six frame.

The Gulls kept their foot on the pedal and kept scoring, picking up two runs in the seventh inning before scoring four times in the eighth for the final score of 18-5.

Zac Robinson started the game for the Mavs and worked three innings while allowing five runs on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Dylan Weaver took over and pitched an inning, allowing three runs on four hits with a strikeout.

Lucas Teel took the mound to start the fifth inning and he pitched 2.2 frames while allowing six runs on  five hits with four walks and a strikeout.

Jack Suhai took over and pitched 1.1 innings, giving up four runs on five hits with a walk and a strikeout. Casey Henderson worked the ninth inning where he didn’t allow a base runner and struck out two batters.

The Mavs (16-20) are back in action Sunday when they host the Gulls at Athletic Park for a 2:05 p.m. rematch. Mitchell says they need to see a different effort in that game and an ability to detach themselves from results.

”Winning is a byproduct of doing little things right throughout a baseball game,” Mitchell said. “It’s like baking a cake and when you do the little things right, you look up at the ninth inning, you’re in the ballgame, you’re winning. So tomorrow, it’s the goal isn’t just win, it’s play good baseball. Be there for your teammates, pick each other up and have some energy and all those things. If we can do that and we lose a heartbreaker, I can live with that. But if we show up flat and rollover, then there’s something bigger.”

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