NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Mavericks’ centre fielder Jeremy Freeman Jr. is swarmed by his teammates after hitting a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th to beat the Swift Current 57’s 2-1 Monday night at Athletic Park.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com
The Medicine Hat Mavericks put on a show Monday for their final home game of the regular season.
The Mavs beat the Swift Current 57’s 2-1 with a 10th inning, walkoff single from centre fielder Jeremy Freeman Jr. to win the last game at Athletic Park before the WCBL playoffs. Monday’s win gives the Mavs a six-game win streak.
“JT told me he was going to let me swing no matter what, so just for him to have confidence in me made me have confidence in myself,” Freeman Jr. said. “When I went up to the plate, there was no pressure at all. Just had to do a job and I did it.”
Head coach Jonathon Thornhill liked how his team battled in the close contest.
” Swift beat us once already this year and it’s team that as much as the standings reflect those things, you can’t get caught up in it,” Thornhill said. “(Adam) Korte was an all-star this year for a reason and he did a good job of mixing it up and keeping our guys off balance. We barrelled some just at people and got unlucky in some situations but the guys didn’t let that dictate the the outcome. In the end there, they kept battling all day.”
The two starters went back and forth with duelling efforts, Adam Korte on the mound for Swift Current and Luis Diaz for the Mavs.
Both team scored in the third inning, with Swift Current cashing a run on a bases-loaded double play. The Mavs responded in the bottom of the frame with a two-out double off the left field wall from second baseman Carter Roth, scoring Tyler Vanneste from third.
Korte worked nine innings, allowing five hits and four walks with eight strikeouts. On the Mavs’ side, Diaz held the 57’s to just two hits and two walks in eight innings of work, striking out nine.
“I feel happy for the team, for the win, is the more important thing,” Diaz said. “Finished with a win at home for the fans, a lot of fans today. So I think everything is for them and for the team, because we are, we are like a unit, we are together through the season. So I think we are doing good things.”
The Mavs threatened in the fourth with Jaden Babiuk getting on base with a single before moving to third on an errant pickoff move, putting him in scoring position with one out, with the Mavs unable to capitalize.
After that frame, both sides managed just two combined hits as both starters worked efficiently.
A quick ninth inning, with neither side getting a runner on base, sent the game to the 10th inning.
The Mavs worked out of the extra frame in expedited fashion, with pitcher Tyler Cutler executing a pick-off move on the automatic runner on second base. He induced two groundouts to put the Mavs’ in the position for the win.
Yusei Uzawa pinch ran for Nate King at second base as the auto runner to start the bottom of the 10th. Outfielder Micah Dvorak squared to attempt a bunt, instead getting himself on base with a walk, setting the stage for Freeman. The Chicago, Ill. product drove a pitch to right field, allowing Uzawa to score and win the game for the Mavs.
He was met by teammates carrying water jugs to celebrate after touching second base as the Mavs totalled win No. 32.
“At first I wanted to run away, but then I didn’t, because I know kind of fast and the water was going to be cold,” Freeman said. “But just enjoy the moment that everybody just throw waters on me. It’s a long time memory for us. So it was fun to be a part of.”
Medicine Hat out-hit the 57’s 6-3. The Mavs (32-17) are on the road for the last six games of the regular season, starting Tuesday in Swift Current.
With their playoff spot locked up and second in the East division one win or one Regina Red Sox loss away from being clinched, Freeman says they have to just keep playing their game.
“Just stay aggressive and know we’re the better team when we go out there and play our game and we go, win,” Freeman said.
