NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Mavericks' pitcher Jacob Petersheim delivers a pitch in the first inning of the Mavs' 4-0 win Friday at Athletic Park over the Swift Current 57's.
The Medicine Hat Mavericks showcased a different way they can win Friday.
Instead of a blowout victory, the method of winning the two previous nights, the Mavs’ worked a 4-0 shutout at Athletic Park, blanking the Swift Current 57’s.
Starter Jacob Petersheim pitched six clean innings, recording three strikeouts while only allowing four hits with a walk. Braedon Davis worked the final three innings, recording two punch outs with a walk and a hit allowed.
The game lasted 1:58, a delight for the 1,068 after a marathon 20-7 Mavs win Thursday over the Saskatoon Berries that extended into three hours. It’s an effort head coach Kevin Mitchell liked and wants to see more of.
Great pitching, situational hitting, a really clean defence all the way around,” Mitchell said. “That was a great team win against a really good arm and I’ll take any anytime we want to do that, I’m fine with it.”
Petersheim went head-to-head with Swift Current starter Kenny Jinks, who struck out nine Mavs’ batters in seven innings of work. Seeing Petersheim’s efforts, Mitchell says the funky starter did his job.
“He’s obviously an interesting look as a starter, he’s kind of got a sidearm submarine type slot but he’s got the mentality of a guy that wants the baseball he’s a bulldog,” Mitchell said. “He’s going to be huge for us all year long. When you’ve got a really good arm on the other side, that’s what you need, you need somebody to come in, fill it up and attack guys and that’s what he did. He trusted his stuff and it paid dividends.”
Petersheim credited his defence for the win and says the team behind him and at the plate made his job easier.
“When we make plays defensively, the pitcher does well so that’s the outcome of it,” Petersheim said. “We bang as of right now, so we gotta keep it rolling and stay hot.”
The Mavs opened the offence in the first inning with an RBI single from catcher Nick Thibodeau.
The Burlington, Ont. product stuck again three innings later, with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The home run was his third of the season and of the week.
A quiet three innings saw no runs for either teams as both squad’s pitchers worked efficiently. Medicine Hat struck again in the bottom of the eighth.
Right fielder Jordan Phillips drove in a run with an RBI double for the eventual final score of 4-0. Phillips and Thibodeau have led the Mavs’ offensively in their three games this week, combining for six home runs and 17 RBIs. It’s a dynamic duo of offence that Mitchell says he’s happy to have wearing the red and white.
“Jordan that’s a tough matchup left on left with Jinks and to his credit, he’s an older hitter, mature guy and once they put a new arm in there, he was ready to go and I think that speaks a lot to his character and and who he is as a baseball player,” Mitchell said. “Nick Thibodeau is the man who is just locked in right now. He’s one of the more even keeled guys we have, which I love about him. His approach is very simple at the plate and he just likes to hit man, the kid likes to hit and it’s working out for him right now.”
The Mavs have an off-day Saturday before they host the Fort McMurray Giants on Sunday in the first of a two-game series. Mitchell joked he wishes they didn’t have the off day Saturday, trying to stay hot riding a four-game winning streak.
“Going into Sunday, keep the train rolling, one thing I told the guys before the dinner tonight when things are really going this good, there isn’t a need to be much thinking, there shouldn’t be much,” Mitchell said. “Obviously there’s no need for adjustments right now. So I want the guys to trust themselves, trust each other, trust the process and keep the good times coming.”
