Mavs fall 14-8 Wednesday at Saskatoon
By James Tubb on June 12, 2024.
The Medicine Hat Mavericks beat themselves Wednesday night. The Mavs recorded four errors, walked eight batters and hit another three en route to a 14-8 road loss to the Saskatoon Berries. Medicine Hat came into the contest off two off-days, losing their last game, a 5-1 defeat to the Weyburn Beavers at Athletic Park on Sunday. Medicine Hat opened the scoring Wednesday night with a pair of runs in the third. Centre fielder Jordan Phillips drove in two runs with a two-run, two out single to kick off the offence. The Berries answered back in big fashion in the bottom of the fourth, notching six runs for a 6-2 lead. Saskatoon notched four hits, drew three walks and were hit by two pitches with the bases loaded for six runs to cross the plate. The Mavs had three pitchers work in the frame. John Walsh started the game, working 3.2 innings with five strikeouts while allowing six runs on four hits and a walk. Braeden Davis took over and walked two batters before Jon Shields took over and recorded the final out of the sixth. Shields was relieved in the fifth after allowing four runs (one earned) with two strikeouts and three walks. Dylan Runge took over and worked 1.2 frames with two strikeouts, allowing four runs on five hits and a walk. After Saskatoon took the lead, the Mavs answered back with four runs in the top of the fifth. Phillips and catcher Nick Thibodeau hit back-to-back RBI singles with the bases loaded to knock in three runs, Thibodeau drove in a pair. The Mavs tied it up at 6-6 on an RBI single from Tyler Vanneste. That tie game didn’t last long as the Berries notched four runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 10-6 lead. They added another run in the sixth and three more in the bottom of the seventh for their final tally of 14. Medicine Hat finished their scoring with two runs in the seventh on a two-run home run from the Saskatoon product Vanneste. His first home run of the season was the Mavs’ last tally of the night, for an eventual final score of 14-8. Ryan Dexter and Lane McEachern finished the game on the mound for the Mavs. Dexter took over in the seventh and recorded a strikeout while allowing a hit and a walk. McEachern pitched a clean eighth inning, allowing a lone hit while recording a strikeout. Medicine Hat left eight runners on base, two fewer than the Berries tally of 10. The Mavs (8-5) are back in action Thursday with a rematch at Saskatoon against the Berries. 15-14
