August 12, 2019

By Dan Khavkin

Okotoks Dawgs

The Lethbridge Bulls defeated the Okotoks Dawgs 5-1 at Spitz Stadium on Monday to even the Western Canadian Baseball League Divisional Final at one game apiece.

The two teams will play the deciding game on Tuesday night at Seaman Stadium.

The Bulls scored all five of their runs in the first three innings to knock Dawgs starter Nick Vickers out of the game. The Calgary native struggled to find the strike zone in the contest, walking eight batters while giving up five runs on five hits.

The key hit for the Bulls was a two-run double by right-fielder Hank Forrest that scored centre fielder Robert Bostedt and catcher Jaret Semeniuk in the bottom of the third inning to make the game 4-1. Forrest later scored on a wild pitch for the fifth and final Bulls’ run.

The Dawgs, who left 15 runners on base on the night, scored their lone run in the top of the third when Oregon State signee Jacob Melton socked a one-out double before Texas State infielder Will Hollis drove him in with an RBI single.

On a positive note for the Dawgs, Dawgs Academy 18U Black youngster Matt Wilkinson entered the contest in the third inning and after tossing a wild pitch to the first batter he faced which allowed the fifth Bulls’ run to score, the 16-year-old settled down to strike out seven and allow just two hits in 5 1/3 scoreless innings.