Mavs win 13-inning affair Friday at Brooks

By James Tubb on June 7, 2024.

The Medicine Hat Mavericks took care of business in their first extra inning game of the season.

The Mavs held on through a 13-inning battle at Brooks, beating the Bombers 7-6 for a third-straight win. Medicine Hat came into the contest off a 10-1 win Thursday at Athletic Park over the Swift Current 57s.

Brooks opened the scoring Friday, tallying a run in the first and third inning for a 2-0 lead.

Medicine Hat answered back with a pair of runs in the fourth to tie the game.

Both shortstop Johnny Vulcano and designated hitter Blake Dale knocked in a run with fielders choice plays with the bases loaded to make it a 2-2 game.

Medicine Hat added two solo tallies in the sixth and seventh innings for a brief 4-2 lead. Vulcano blasted a solo home run in the top of the sixth and Evan Morrison knocked in a run with an RBI single in the seventh.

Jacob Petersheim started the contest for the Mavs and worked five innings with four strikeouts, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and four walks. Jon Shields worked the sixth and started the seventh, recording two outs before Josh Landry took over.

The Bombers capitalized with runners on base and scored twice more for a 5-4 lead after seven innings.

With the game on the line in the ninth, centre fielder Jordan Phillips hit a no-doubt home run to tie the game up at 5-5 and eventually send the game to extra innings.

Landry worked into the 11th inning on the mound, recording five strikeouts while allowing two hits and two walks in his 3.1 innings of work. Dylan Runge took over and pitched the final three innings, ultimately recording the win with two strikeouts, allowing two hits, a walk and a run scored.

Medicine Hat scored first in the extra frames, getting on the board in the 12th. Tyler Vanneste scored from second base on a hit to right field from Vulcano for his second RBI on the night.

Brooks answered back in the bottom of the frame, scoring on a hit up the middle with the bases loaded. They pushed for the winning run who was thrown out on a throw from Phillips in centre field to force a 13th frame with a 6-6 score.

In the eventual final inning, Jaden Babiuk, who pinch for Dale in the 10th, scored on a wild pitch for the 7-6 lead. A groundout to second baseman Marshall Burke, who raced to first for the out started the inning. Runge drew a fly out to right field and ended the game on a fly out to left field.

The Mavs (7-3) are back in action Saturday, for the first game of a two-game set against the Weyburn Beavers at Athletic Park.

Editors note: An earlier version of the story had incorrect information on the Mavs’ pitchers.