NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Mavericks first baseman Landon Mokris reaches out to make a catch on a throw to first in the Mavs’ 14-11 loss Saturday at Athletic Park to the Moose Jaw Miller Express.
From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, the Medicine Hat Mavericks hit both in a span of 24 hours.
The Mavs surrendered two leads Saturday night, falling 14-11 to the Moose Jaw Miller Express a night after overcoming an eight-run deficit in a 10-9 win Friday night.
On the other side of the script Saturday, head coach Kevin Mitchell says he knows how the Millers felt on Friday.
“t hurts, I’m sure they were hurting last night and credit to them, they return the favour,” Mitchell said. “That was a crazy game, two crazy ones in a row and that’s baseball. We will be alright, we’re fine. We talked earlier in the year with some tough losses, they can be great opportunities for growth.
“Credit to Moose Jaw again, especially after that first inning we had for sticking around. We didn’t execute as well as we needed to and they took advantage and they just did a little bit more than we did tonight.”
Medicine Hat jumped out ahead early, putting up six runs in the opening frame.
Catcher Nick Thibodeau had a bases-loaded single and right fielder Brady Bean was hit by a pitch with the bases juiced for an early 2-0 lead. Third baseman Tyler Vanneste knocked an RBI single and then Thibodeau scored on a wild pitch for a 4-0 advantage. They rounded out the frame with sac flys from first baseman Landon Morris and shortstop Johnny Vulcano for the 6-0 lead.
Mitchell didn’t think his team got too confident with the early lead and he says it was Moose Jaw who capitalized on momentum swings.
“That was as ordered, it was prescribed to lean on them early and see what they were made of,” Mitchell said. “Credit to them for not packing it in. Anytime you can force it first, you take it.
“Looking back over the game there were a couple plays that we’re big momentum shifts but when you have a six-run first, it’s not enough, it’s the first inning, you have to keep going and we did. They scored and we scored and we kept them at arm’s length for a bit but it’s just the way it goes sometimes.”
Moose Jaw chipped away with three runs in the top of the third inning to cut the Mavs lead to 6-3. They answered back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to jump back ahead 8-3.
Designated hitter Michael Quick knocked a single up the middle to score the two runs, with the Mavs capitalizing on three straight singles.
Moose Jaw then answered back, scoring four runs in the top of the fourth to make it an 8-7 game and tied the contest up at 8-8 with a run in the fifth.
Dylan Runge started the game for the Mavs and was lifted in the fourth inning. He was charged with seven runs (four earned) on eight hits, two walks with three strikeouts in three innings. Braedon Davis took over and worked into the eighth inning.
Moose Jaw’s tying run in the fifth came with some dramatics. Third base umpire Blake Thille signalled a ball hit down the left field line as a foul ball before switching to a fair call, allowing a Moose Jaw runner to score. Mitchell says that moment was one of a few momentum swings in the game they couldn’t answer on. He also says they didn’t execute on the mound well enough to win.
“I don’t think we pitched well enough tonight, guys that have gotten the job done for us as recently as yesterday weren’t able to do so,” Mitchell said. “It’s a team game and that’s also the way it goes.”
The Mavs regained a lead with three runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Vulcano kicked things off with a solo home run that could have been a two-run blast, but Vanneste was thrown out trying to take second base two pitches earlier. The Mavs added on with a flare hit from left fielder Brody Gardner over second base and another bloop single over the shortstop from centre fielder Jordan Phillips.
Moose Jaw clapped back in the eighth, scoring three runs of their own to tie the game up at 11-11.
Davis was lifted with runners on first and third and two outs with Cesar Rodriguez taking over on the mound. The Millers had a single, a double and a score on a passed ball to even the game up again.
Davis’ night finished with three runs against on five hits with one strikeout in 4.2 innings pitched. Rodriguez was charged with one run against on two hits.
Josh Landry took over on the mound for the Mavs to start the ninth inning. The Millers’ lead off hitter Nate Mensik drove the fourth pitch he saw over the left centre field fence for a solo home run and the eventual winning run. Moose Jaw added another two runs in the inning for the 14-11 final.
Landry recorded two outs and wore the three runs on three hits. Adam Golby came into the game and allowed a hit before recording the final out of the frame.
The Mavs sent four batters to the plate in the ninth but couldn’t play the comeback kids for a second straight night, dropping a five-game winning streak.
Both teams had 19 hits in the affair. The Mavs (23-15) host the Millers on Sunday for the third and final game of the weekend series. Mitchell says he’s looking for a response from his team similar to the one Moose Jaw had to pull out the win.
“This is kind of like an old fashioned three-game series, which we don’t get too many of in this league but at the big league level, they play a couple of them every week,” Mitchell said. “Good teams, win more series then they lose, so we come out tomorrow, put this one behind us, play good baseball and come out with a win and we’re right back on track.”
