NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Mavericks' catcher Nick Thibodeau slides into home plate to score on a wild pitch in the Mavs' 8-5 win Tuesday at Athletic Park over the Swift Current 57's.
To win at the game of pong, the classic computer game with two lines and a ball, the victor is the one who capitalizes on the ball coming back to them and putting it out of reach of the opponent.
The Medicine Hat Mavericks won their own game of pong Tuesday night at Athletic Park.
The Mavs overcame to separate deficits, beating the Swift Current 57’s 8-5. It’s a win that caps off a six-game stretch for the Mavs with a 5-1 record.
Head coach Kevin Mitchell liked his team’s resilience in the win.
“That very gritty, we grinded out type of game and I’m really proud of the guys for being able to do that after such a long trip,” Mitchell said. “Getting back early this morning, it wasn’t pretty, but it’s not always gonna go that way. So for us to battle and hang in there and do just enough to come out with a win, felt really good.”
The Mavs fell behind early as Swift Current capitalized big in the first inning, scoring three runs on a three-run home run for an early 3-0 lead.
Medicine Hat bounced back in the bottom of the third, scoring a pair of runs on a two-run single from centre fielder Jordan Phillips. They tied the game up at 3-3 with left fielder Brody Gardner scoring on a wild pitch.
Evan Gant started the game and was lifted in the second inning, allowing the three runs on two hits with two walks in 1.2 innings of work. Adam Golby took over on the mound and worked 2.1 innings, allowing two runs (none earned) on two hits with three punch-outs.
Swift Current bounced back from the Mavs tying up the game and scored two runs in the top of the fourth. The first run came on an overthrow from shortstop Johnny Vulcano deep in the hole on the left side of the diamond. They scored the second on a single for a 5-3 lead.
The Mavs tied the game up in the sixth inning with a pair of their own runs.
They loaded the bases up without recording an out and Vulcano redeemed himself, knocking a hit up the middle to score a run. They tied the game with catcher Nick Thibodeau scoring on a wild pitch.
Jacob Petersheim entered the game on the mound for Medicine Hat in the fifth inning and worked the last five innings of the game.
While Petersheim held the 57’s at bay, giving up just one hit through his first four innings of work, Medicine Hat grabbed the lead in the bottom of the eighth.
Thibodeau started things off with an RBI double that scored right fielder Brady Bean from first base. First baseman Landon Mokris had a single to score Thibodeau, who moved up to third base on a wild pitch, for the second run of the inning. They capped off the frame with an RBI single from second baseman Marshall Burke for the final 8-5 lead.
Swift Current pushed back in the ninth inning, loading the bases with three of the first four batters getting on base. Petersheim worked a strikeout for the second out and induced a fly out to centre field for the final out and the 8-5 win.
Petersheim finished his outing with the win, recording two Ks in his five innings of work, allowing just two hits with two walks, all but one coming in the ninth inning.
The Mavs outhit Swift Current 10-6 in the win.
The Mavs (21-14) are off Wednesday before the host the Edmonton Prospects for the first of four straight games at Athletic Park.
