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Local WMBL squad still winless at home
SCOTT SCHMIDT
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The Medicine Hat Mavericks home woes continued Friday night with a lifeless 8-0 defeat at the hands of the defending Western Major Baseball League champion Okotoks Dawgs.
The Mavs (4-7) couldn’t get anything going all night as Dawgs starter Jeff Duda was nearly flawless through seven innings allowing just one batter over the minimum. Mavs starter Jeff Squier was not as efficient giving up six hits, three base-on-balls, and three earned runs over just four innings.
“We just had an off day,” said Mavs coach Mike Greene. “I think we were maybe a little intimidated at first, but the kids have pretty good confidence that they can come back (next game).”
The intimidation seemed to peak in the third inning as the Dawgs (2-1), already up 1-0, took advantage of three big Maverick mistakes on their way to putting up a five-spot. Shortstop Richie Nasser contributed the first of those mistakes as a routine ground ball handcuffed him to get the inning going.
Three hits, two more errors, and a hit batter later and the score was 6-0.
“Personally, I need to stop the errors,” admitted Nasser after the game. “Our pitching staff has been throwing well too, but I don’t know... stupid errors.”
With the loss, the team falls to 0-4 at home on the season and Nasser — among other players — is starting to wonder how to get themselves a different outcome.
“It’s getting tough,” said Nasser, who like most Mavs Friday, finished hitless at the plate. “Consistent errors are not fun and they turn into runs.
“I guess we just gotta get passed it.”
The defense certainly didn’t help, but the offense never showed up. In fairness to the Mavs’ bats however; Duda had the kind of stuff on Friday that pitchers dream about.
The 220-pound right-hander was perfect through four innings and finished with five strike-outs to get the win. The only hit he gave up all night was wiped out one pitch later when he enduced a double-play off the bat of Mavs third-baseman Hogan Barnes.
“I got roughed up a bit in my last outing, but I was pretty happy with how I threw today,” said Duda, who tried to keep the thoughts of a no-hitter out of his mind while he was on the mound. “You can’t let something like that into your head. You just gotta go out there, make your pitches, and good things will happen.”
The Dawgs’ schedule has been devastated by weather thus far, making Friday only their third game of the year. That may be why Duda was taken out after seven, though he looked poised for a shutout.
“I think we were just trying to get some guys some work in,” said Duda. “We haven’t been playing at all, so you don’t want to stretch yourself out yet and end up falling apart.”
As bad as things looked on this night, the Mavs had some positives during the game. Squier moved to third base after the fourth inning and made a couple of big-league plays on sharply hit ground balls to aide a strong relief performance by pitcher Cam Rittinger.
Rittinger finished things up for the Mavs tossing the final four frames, allowing just one hit and striking out five.
“We just have to perform and get used to the home crowd I guess,” said Rittinger.
The teams meet again Sunday night in Okotoks. |
