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Mavs down to 12 men as players quit, let
go
COLLIN GALLANT
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Darrell Ellis stuck around long enough for
the Champion, Alta. native to collect his first win of the season
— a 7-6 come from behind victory for his Lethbridge Bulls
over the Medicine Hat Mavericks and local pitcher Cam
Rittinger.
As it turned out Rittinger had stuck
around long enough to make one more start before leaving the Mavs
as part of a player defection that could cripple the Western Major
Baseball League team with seven games remaining.
Medicine Hat will take just 12 players on
the road today to face Moose Jaw after the stress of a 12-23 record
plus squabbles over playing time came to a head with three roster
cuts.
Rittinger, the Mavs’ iron horse on
the mound this year, was angered but agreed to Monday’s start
before asking for his own release.
"If you’re going to kick three guys
off the team when we have (seven) games left, I told them that if
they’re shutting down, I’m shutting it down," said
Rittinger, who was concerned about arm strain ahead of returning to
his college team this fall.
"A three game road trip with 12 guys?" he
said. "You have to pitch a lot in three games."
Sources have told the News that three
seldom-used Canadian-born players — likely local pitcher
Shaun Cameron and catcher Brad Rintoul, along with
Innisfail’s Mike O’Dwyer — were cut after
Sunday’s home loss to Moose Jaw.
"We sent some players home and some
players left for home," said Mavs manager Mike Greene, who defended
his record and decision over doling out playing time. "We’ve
been in a lot of one-run ball games."
Pitcher David Parker asked for his release
Monday as did Rittinger, who began the season as the team’s
closer and leads the team in appearances (23) and innings pitched
(66).
The Gas City native, who pitches at a
Kansas college in the winter, entered Monday’s game with a
team-low earned run average of 3.20.
According to Greene, Rittinger knew the
team was short-staffed and agreed to one more start.
The Mavericks are six games back of
Lethbridge (18-17) for the last playoff spot in the West Division
with seven games to play.
"We’ve got 12 really good ball
players and they’re here to play and we’ll battle like
this," said Greene.
Ironically, Lethbridge’s Ellis (1-3)
seemed ready to walk out of the stadium in frustration after he
left trailing 5-2 after the sixth inning.
But the Bulls erupted for five runs off
Rittinger (4-5) to take the lead in the top of the seventh powered
by back-to-back doubles from Clayton Howell (2-for-5) and Ryan
MacDonald (2-for-5).
Early on, Maverick Jeff Squier launched a
solo home run in the first inning over the 365-foot marker in
left-centre field, but the Bulls pushed two across in the
second.
The Mavs loaded the bases against Ellis in
the third and pushed across three runs as Darcy Doyle (2-for-4),
Erik Church and Squier all scored.
The Mavericks extended the lead in the
sixth when Kevin Annett’s ground ball got through the
infield, then Doyle drove him home.
Medicine Hat replied quickly with a run,
but couldn’t get the tying run off relievers Jay Johnson or
Victor Hernandez.
Mav reliever Braden Edwards was solid in
the final two innings, giving up two hits. |
