NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Mavericks second baseman Marshall Burke slides into home plate ahead of the tag in the first inning of the Mavs' 6-2 Game 3 loss Friday at Athletic Park to the Saskatoon Berries.
The Medicine Hat Mavericks 2024 season came to a close Friday night at Athletic Park.
The Mavs dropped the decisive Game 3 6-4 to the Saskatoon Berries, losing the East semifinals series 2-1. Saskatoon will face the Moose Jaw Miller Express in the East finals starting Sunday.
Head coach Kevin Mitchell says the loss hurts.
“This game is is a big part of my life, I’ve been around it long enough to have had this feeling before, it never gets any easier when a season ends,” Mitchell said. “It takes time to process all the all the different parts of it and it’s hard.”
But I just told the guys, when you care about something, when you open yourself up to really care about something and open the opportunity to be hurt, that’s what this feeling is, because these guys all really care about this team and this game, and they’re hurting right now, as am I.
So tonight, we didn’t execute as well as we needed to. We had our opportunities and guys on base and made some costly mistakes at the wrong time, and credit to Saskatoon, they played a really strong series.”
Medicine Hat opened the scoring in the first inning.
Third baseman Tyler Vanneste knocked in a run with an RBI single for the early 1-0 tally. The Berries tied the game up the next inning, with a solo home run from left fielder Nolan Sparks.
The Mavs had a strong opportunity for offence in the bottom of the second that was denied with a questionable call. Designated hitter Michael Quick hit into a ground ball that he beat out, but shortstop Johnny Vulcano was called out for interference on a clean slide at second base. Medicine Hat did capitalize in the inning, with an RBI single from Babiuk but could’ve had a larger lead than 2-1 if not for the call at second.
Medicine Hat couldn’t add to the one-run lead and the Berries caught it, with another solo home run from Sparks, making ti a 2-2 game in the sixth inning. Starter Jack Novak was lifted after the sixth, allowing the two runs on six hits with a walk, striking out six batters.
Leo Woods took over on the mound for the Mavs and kept the Berries at bay, allowing only tow base runners combined in the seventh and eighth innings. Saskatoon stuck in the ninth. A one-out single scored on a deep triply from centre fielder Carter Beck to give Saskatoon a 3-2 lead.
Cesar Rodriguez took over on the mound with Beck on third and one out. The Berries kept the offence rolling, with two single and a double bringing in a pair of runs to make it a 5-2 lead. Dylan Runge took over for Rodriguez and drew a sac fly, recording an out while the Berries made it a 6-2 lead.
Medicine Hat got out of the frame and looked for the comeback in the ninth. Babiuk and second baseman Marshall Burke got on base with a walk and single respectively, electrifying the crowd of 1,441. But the Mavs couldn’t score the season-preserving runs, falling 6-2. Mitchell thanked the fans for sticking with them throughout the game and season.
“The environment was incredible tonight, our fans are awesome, everyone here tonight was they were hanging on every pitch with us,” Mitchell said. “I can’t even put into words how much that means, how much fun it is, and what that’s like to to perform in front of a crowd like that.
“It was a lot of fun all summer long with these fans, and I’m sorry to see it end like this.”
See Tuesday’s News for a reflection of the 2024 Mavs season.
