Mavs fall 7-1 Sunday to Cactus Rats, end road trip 4-2

By James Tubb on July 6, 2025.

Medicine Hat News

The Medicine Hat Mavericks dropped the final game of their West division road trip.

The Mavs scored a run in the top of the ninth to avoid a shutout Sunday, eventually falling 7-1 to the Energy City Cactus Rats. They beat the former Edmonton Prospects, still awaiting the construction of their new home, 11-10 on Saturday.

Sunday’s game was delayed over an hour due to rain with another delay coming in the second inning.

The Cactus Rats scored first, with an RBI single in the bottom of the first off starter Gary Dornan.

Medicine Hat pushed in the top of the ninth, loading the bases before rain put the game in a delay. Aaron Vulcano stepped up to the plate after the delay, facing two outs, eventually striking out as the Cactus Rats held onto the one-run lead.

Garrick Levesque took over on the mound to start the bottom of the third for the Mavs, with a run scoring on an error in the frame.

The Cactus Rats added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth for the 4-0 lead. Levesque finished with three runs against (two earned) on one hit and four walks.

Ryan Dexter took the bump to start the sixth, with a run scoring on an RBI single in the frame to put Energy City ahead 5-0. Dexter struck out two batters in the frame, walking a pair and allowing two hits. Andrew Kim took the mound in the seventh, with a walk the lone blemish on his record, recording a strikeout.

The Cactus Rats held the Mavs to four hits through eight innings as they continued to tack on runs. Danny Retzlaff pitched the eighth inning for the Mavs, with two runs scoring on a single for the 7-0 lead. He allowed three walks and a pair of hits, recording a strikeout.

The Mavs lone run of the game was scratched across in the ninth on a two-out, RBI single off the bat of  Jaden Babiuk.

The Cactus Rats outhit the Mavs 7-5, the Mavs left 11 runners on base to the Cactus Rats’ 12. Medicine Hat finishes the six-game road trip through the West division with a 4-2 record.

The Mavs (21-12) are off Monday before they host the Weyburn Beavers at Athletic Park on Tuesday for the Medicine Hat News Christmas in July game. That contest gets underway at 7:05 p.m.

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