NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Mavericks outfielder Adam Vulcano celebrates scoring from first base in the opening inning of the Mavs' 7-6 win Thursday night at Athletic Park against the Lethbridge Bulls.
The Medicine Hat Mavericks continued their winning ways Thursday night.
The Mavs beat the Lethbridge Bulls 7-6 at Athletic Park for their sixth win in a row. Medicine Hat came into the contest off an 8-6 win Wednesday at Moose Jaw against the Miller Express. Thursday’s victory also clinches a winning season for the Mavs, as their record sits at 29-25 with two games remaining on their schedule.
Head coach Kevin Mitchell described Thursday’s victory as a team win.
“It was an awesome job, top to bottom contributions from everybody,” Mitchell said. “Everybody’s pulling in the right direction, all pulling in the same direction at the right time of year. The wins don’t have to be pretty all the time but we did it as a team and that’s kind of how we’ve been rolling the last three weeks.”
The Mavs opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first coming on an RBI double from second baseman Brady Bean that scored right fielder Adam Vulcano from first base due to an error from Lethbridge’s left fielder who fell down approaching the hit.
Medicine Hat added to their lead in the third inning, scoring two runs for a 3-0 advantage. Another RBI single from Bean kicked off the offence before Vulcano scored on a sacrifice fly to centre field from first baseman Andrew Savage.
Lethbridge got on the board in the fifth inning, scoring three runs on four hits and an error, tying the game up at 3-3.
The Mavs retook the lead in the bottom of the frame, with third baseman Nathan Tarver driving in a run on a fielders choice play that drew an error by the Bulls’ shortstop. They boosted their lead in the sixth inning, adding three runs to lead 7-3. Centre fielder Brody Gardner drove in a run on a fielders choice play and two pitched later, Vulcano knocked a two-run single for the Mavs extended lead.
The Bulls made it interesting in the game’s later innings, scoring a run in the seventh inning before plating two more runs in the ninth inning to bring them within one. Mavs closer Matthew Krall, who entered the game in the eighth, recorded the final two outs needed to hold the Bulls at bay and secure the Mavs’ win. Krall recorded four strikeouts while allowing two runs (one earned) and two hits in his 1.2 innings pitched.
Bryce Libke started the game and picked up the win and a quality start, striking out three batters while allowing three runs (tow earned) and seven hits in his six innings pitched. Casey Henderson entered the game in the seventh and worked 1.1 innings while allowing one run on three walks and two hits.
The Mavs are back in action Friday for the first of a two game set at Athletic Park against the Regina Red Sox, who Medicine Hat will face in the playoffs. Mitchell is looking at their final games of the regular season as an opportunity to set the tone heading into playoffs and maintain the fundamentals they are playing with.
“Psychologically these two games mean something, obviously they don’t in terms of standings or anything like that but just setting the tone for the playoff series, I think that matters,” Mitchell said. “What I’m looking for these next few days is the stuff of winning baseball. Keeping up that situational hitting, throwing enough strikes, playing solid defence, keeping good composure and good energy. So we’ll take it day by day and if we’re doing those things, more often than not, we’re going to come out on the right end of it.”
