NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Regina Red Sox outfielder Rafael Jackson slides into home plate ahead of the tag from Medicine Hat Mavericks' catcher Nate King in the second inning of the Mavs 13-7 Game 2 loss at Regina on Thursday. Regina swept the Mavs 2-0 in the best-of-three series with the win.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
A first-round exit showed a different Medicine Hat Mavericks team than the one that found success all summer at Athletic Park.
The Mavs bowed out of the WCBL playoffs with a 13-7, Game 2 loss Thursday at Regina to the Red Sox, eliminated by a two-game sweep for the first time since the WCBL moved from five games to three-game series in 2019.
They worked a 34-21 regular season, the most wins since 2018 and the third most wins in a summer since 2010, but unable to get one win against Regina to force a Game 3.
The offence didn’t come for the Mavs, who out-hit Regina 25-22 in the series, but the Red Sox outscored them 19-9. Regina also hit the only two home runs in the series.
Medicine Hat’s offence wasn’t reliant on the home run over the summer, they sat middle of the pack in total long balls hit, instead capitalizing by passing the torch throughout the lineup, piling up hits and getting the timely knock to score runs. Against Regina, the Mavs stranded 28 runners on base in the series, hitting into three double plays in a 6-2 Game 1 loss on Wednesday, and in Thursday’s loss, managed just two runs with the bases loaded three times.
Head coach Jonathon Thornhill was ejected in the first inning of Thursday’s loss arguing an apparent missed out call at first base. Regina had the bases loaded with two outs when Aaron Vulcano scooped up a ground ball and dove to touch the base, appearing to record the out before the runner was called safe. The Red Sox scored three runs on an ensuing single and Thornhill was ejected while exiting the dugout a second time.
Looking at the loss and the series, Thornhill says the early exit stings but he says it doesn’t speak for their season of work.
“It doesn’t take away from what they accomplished this year,” Thornhill said. “On and off the field to go through a summer, two and a half months with these guys and not deal with an ounce of drama and just enjoy baseball, even through the losses, it was a very fun group, and I’m very happy that I took the offer to come out here this summer.”
Regina scored seven runs in the first two innings Thursday, adding a pair in the fourth and another four in the seventh to cement their lead and clinch their first playoff win since 2019. They’ll face the winner between the Saskatoon Berries and Moose Jaw Miller Express who meet Saturday in Game 3.
The Mavs responded throughout the game, as they have all season, scoring twice in the third inning with Aaron Vulcano scoring on an error by the Regina first baseman on a knock from Tyler Vanneste. A second run scored on a single from Carter Roth, he finished with three hits in the loss.
They scored a pair in the top of the sixth on an RBI double from Adam Vulcano, he then scored on a single from Micah Dvorak. The Mavs added three runs in the ninth, starting the frame with the bases loaded. Jaden Babiuk scored on a wild pitch and Yusei Uzawa plated two runs with a single.
The Mavs were also without centre fielder Jeremy Freeman Jr., who did not make the trip due to injury, he was held to one hit in the Game 1 loss.
Thornhill, watching from the locker room, wasn’t surprised to see his team put up a fight in what was the final game.
“It’s a testament to what it’s been this summer, as much as it was 7-0 there in the first these guys never gave up,” Thornhill said. “They kept chewing away, they were one hit away from making it a one-run game, a two-run game. It just confirmed their identity all year from an offensive unit, that they’re never out of it. It just hurt us pitching like it has at times this year.”
For the Mavs, the end to the season and the summer sees an end of college ball for Vanneste, Aaron Vulcano, Dvorak, Luke Barrientos and Babiuk with other seniors like Johnny Vulcano, Freeman Jr. and Xander Roberts (who started Game 2, working 1.1 innings) either returning to school for one more year or looking for a spot for one last year.
A winning regular season and an early playoff exit leaves some to be desired for an organization, team and fan base almost expectant of playing more games in the summer. There’s emotions left and lessons to be learned from early summer exits. The biggest lesson, Thornhill says, is how hard this sport is to play.
“When you have fun, it is so enjoyable and a constant factor, hugging these guys at the end there was, ‘Thank you for the most fun I’ve ever had over a summer, thank you for the best summer I’ve ever had,'” Thornhill said. “Those are the reasons why we enjoy what we do, for (assistant coach Ryan) Reed, this is only his second group he’s worked with and he said right away he loved this group and the way they cared for each other, the way they fought for each other and the way they worked for each other and enjoyed every day was the selling point.
“These guys took that role and went with it all year.”
