Mavs can’t get bats going in 7-1 loss to the Berries

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on June 12, 2025.

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com

For the first time in the 2025 season the Medicine Hat Mavericks had their bats stymied, and redemption for the 2024 playoffs will have to wait at least one more night as the Saskatoon Berries handed the Mavs just their third loss.

The 7-1 Berries win also brings the two ball clubs even atop the Eastern Division standings with a rematch scheduled for Wednesday evening. That game was not complete by press time.

The Mavs (9-3) were hoping to get a little revenge Tuesday as the clubs faced each other for the first time since Saskatoon (8-2) eliminated Medicine Hat from the playoffs in upset fashion. Unfortunately, a cold night at the dish hampered the Mavs’ first chance in 2025 at redeeming that loss.

The Mavericks did score first on the night when a trio of singles loaded the baes for designated hitter Yusei Uzawa, whose ground-ball fielder’s choice brought Nate King home for the 1-0 lead. It was a short-lived advantage however, as the Berries got their crowd into it when two singles and double in the bottom of the third helped the home team to a 2-1 score.

Mavs starter Fawster Voytko had pitched well until that point but started to unravel a bit in the bottom of the fourth when a walk and a hit batter were followed by two consecutive singles that doubled the Saskatoon lead. The El Paso, Texas product was bailed out of further damage in the rarest of ways when a line-drive to first-baseman Evan Morrison was quickly turned into a triple play after he caught it, stepped on first and threw to second for the force.

Voytko finished the night having tossed 4.2 innings with 5 earned runs, taking the eventual loss and dropping his record to 0-2.

Saskatoon added another run in the fifth. Voytko got the first two hitters out before a pair of walks saw head coach Jonathon Thornhill make a switch. Garrick Levesque came into the game in relief but was unable to hold the runners, giving up a single to Berries shortstop Nathan Houston after working to a full count that scored RF Ethan Murdoch.

The Berries capped the night’s scoring in the sixth inning thanks to a pair of fielding errors from the Mavs, the latter of which by third-baseman Tyler Vanneste allowed two unearned runs to cross the plate.

Saskatoon had just 8 hits on the night – the same as the Mavericks – and aside from a lone double, none were longer than a single. Unfortunately for Medicine Hat, none of their 8 knocks sent a hitter beyond first, they managed just one base runner after the seventh and they finished the game with 10 runners left on base.

Uzawa and Jeremy Freeman Jr. each had a pair of singles to lead the way for the Mavs’ offence, which was held to fewer than six runs for the first time this season. Levesque finished his outing with 1.1 innings and the two unearned runs, while

Ryan Dexter and Diego Centella pitched an inning each, neither giving up a run.

Diego Quinonez started the game for the Berries, tossing four innings and giving up the earned run. Travis Phelps’ one inning of relief earned him the win; he gave up a hit and a walk but struck out a pair.

The Mavericks and Berries played again Wednesday, the result deciding first place after the quarter mark of the season. Medicine Hat then travelled to Swift Current to take on the 57s tonight before coming home Friday to play Okotoks, then turning around and heading back to Saskatchewan to take on the Red Sox in Regina on Saturday and Sunday.

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