Rain stops long enough for Mavs’ 4th straight win

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on June 24, 2025.

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com

A rare rainy weekend in Medicine Hat was the only restrictor for the Mavericks in a winning week.

The Mavs had back-to-back games at Athletic Park postponed due to rain, finishing the weekend on the diamond beating the Moose Jaw Miller Express 7-1 on Sunday to extend their winning streak to four games. They entered the weekend with an 8-7, walk-off win Thursday at home over the Saskatoon Berries before the heavy rain postponed their game Friday. They were also to face Moose Jaw on Saturday in a game that was rained out.

In the win Sunday, the Mavs deployed four pitchers who held the Millers to four hits on the afternoon, led by starter Xander Roberts who picked up his third win of the season. He worked 5.1 strong innings, allowing the lone run, unearned, off the four hits, and walking four batters while recording two strikeouts.

Luis Diaz worked two clean frames with three strikeouts. Ryan Dexter pitched an inning, recording the last two outs of the eighth, fanning one of his hitters. Jensen Cockrell pitched the ninth, his Mavs debut, picking up a strikeout and walk across a scoreless inning.

The Mavericks’ offence got gong in the first inning with an RBI single from infielder Carter Roth, the first of a three-hit, three-RBI day that has him one back of the WCBL lead with 24 RBIs. He continues to lead the league in batting average (.466) and hits (41).

The Millers managed to tie the game in the fourth, but the symmetry wouldn’t last long as the Mavs scored the eventual winning run in the fifth. Catcher Nate King led off the inning with a double, moving up to third on a sacrifice hit and scoring on a two-out, RBI single from infielder Johnny Vulcano.

They piled on in the sixth, plating half dozen runs, before sliding into cruise control en route to the 7-1 final.

First baseman Evan Morrison led off the sixth inning with a double, moving to third as the Mavs loaded the bases with back-to-back hit by pitches. King was hit in the head, earning a painful RBI that saw him leave the game under his own power. The bases remained loaded with two outs for centre fielder Jeremy Freeman Jr., who punched a single to his personal stomping grounds in the outfield, scoring two.

Roth then roped a single to right field, driving in his second and third RBIs of the afternoon.

The Mavs outhit the Millers 11-4 in the win, keeping themselves in second place of the East division with a 15-6 record. They sit 2.5 games back of the league-leading Saskatoon Berries, who picked up a pair of wins Sunday, beating the Energy City Cactus Rats 4-2 and 4-0 in a doubleheader.

The Mavs were off Monday before a two-game set on the road, facing the Weyburn Beavers tonight and Wednesday before returning to Athletic Park. They’ll host the Regina Red Sox on Thursday and Friday before the Berries visit the desert, facing the Mavs in Medicine Hat on Saturday and Sunday.

Re-scheduled games

The Mavs have announced rescheduled dates for their two postponed games from the weekend.

Friday’s game against the Berries has been rescheduled for July 14, a 7:05 p.m. start. Saturday’s cancelled game against Moose Jaw was originally rescheduled for Monday but then changed to July 10, also a 7:05 p.m. start. Fans with tickets to those respective rained-out games will be able to use them for the rescheduled nights.

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