Crowson's walk-off homer gives Dawgs third consecutive WCBL championship
The Okotoks Dawgs won their third consecutive Western Canadian Baseball League championship on Saturday night. Photo: Okotoks Dawgs.
August 17, 2024
By Oakley Matthewson
Okotoks Dawgs
Hometown slugger Connor Crowson belted a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning in front of a record-breaking crowd of 6,342 fans at Seaman Stadium on Saturday night to give the Okotoks Dawgs a 6-5 win over the Moose Jaw Miller Express and their third consecutive Western Canadian Baseball League championship.
It’s the second three-peat in Dawgs’ history. They also did it from 2007 to 2009.
Okotoks Dawgs slugger Connor Crowson (Okotoks, Alta.) is presented with the WCBL Playoff MVP award by league president Kevin Kwame. Photo: Ian Wilson, Western Canadian Baseball League
On top of Crowson’s heroics which earned him WCBL Playoff MVP honours, Tucker Zdunich (High River, Alta.) went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs in the contest, while Ricky Sanchez (Lamar University) continued to swing a hot bat, adding two more hits.
Okotoks Dawgs players celebrate after receiving the Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy as WCBL champions. Photo: Okotoks Dawgs
Jarrett Burney (Reinhardt University), who had the highest batting average on the Dawgs during the regular season, also contributed two hits and an RBI.
On the mound, veteran left-hander Graham Brunner (Sherwood Park, Alta.), in what will be his last appearance as a Dawg, started and allowed two runs, while striking out seven, in 4 2/3 innings.
Garrett Maloney (Campbellsville University), Zane Morrison (Campbellsville University) and Cade Herrmann (Bellevue University) tossed scoreless innings in relief before Easton Corey (Linn-Benton CC) closed out the game with two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings and earned the win.
The Dawgs have now won seven league championships since moving to Okotoks.