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Local WMBL squad sneaks out win on wild pitch
COLLIN GALLANT
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Manager Mike Greene wanted his Medicine Hat Mavericks to be more aggressive, and they came out snarling against the Saskatoon Yellow Jackets on Sunday night at Athletic Park.
They were testy late, too, needing a big comeback to win 9-8 after surrendering eight runs in a disastrous seventh-inning collapse.
Maverick John McNeil scored the winning run in the ninth after stealing second, going to third on a wild pitch, then trotting home on another.
“It’s always nice to win in a greasy situation to comeback,” said McNeil, whose club led 5-0 after three, but trailed 8-5 in the seventh.
“We got off to a good start and found our comfort zone, and stayed a little two comfortable, but we had a huddle (in the dugout) and said, ‘why not?’”
The Mavs (8-10) host the division leading Okotoks Dawgs (13-3) tonight, 7 p.m., in the Medicine Hat News’ Pack the Park night. Saskatoon sits at 8-9 in the Central Division.
Aggression was the name of the game early on, Sunday, and the Mavs scored five runs early on five hits — two that didn’t make it out of the infield — a sac bunt, a pair of stolen bases and a green light at third base.
McNeil (3-for-5 with a double) hustled down the first-base line in the third inning to nix double-play attempt which allowed Medicine Hat’s second baseman Kevin Annett (3-for-5, three runs) to score from third.
Hogan Barnes’ fourth homer of the season led off the second inning.
Centre-fielder Erik Church was 3-for-5 with a sac bunt and warning track flyout, and defensively made the play of a game with a diving catch.
Church’s acrobatics hardly stemmed the Jackets bat-around rally in the seventh.
Medicine Hat starter Kyle Chandler allowed two hits through six innings, but left in the seventh after an error and an odd-ball catcher’s interference call prolonged Saskatoon’s efforts to tie the game, then go-ahead 8-5 against Mavs reliever David Fraser.
Saskatoon’s Mike Ronnie (2-for-4) recorded both his hits in the frame and player-manager Matt Gunning ripped a two-run single.
Annett and McNeil replied with runs in the bottom half, then Darcy Doyle scored to tie the game in the eighth.
“It was huge (to get those runs in the seventh),” said Greene. “We had a lot of hustle. A lot of people contributed today.”
Jacket starting pitcher Logan Clewes gave way to reliever Taylor Kjargaard (0-1) who took the loss. Medicine Hat reliever Cam Rittinger (1-3) got the win pitching the final two innings. |
