August 1, 2018

By Tyler Lowey

Okotoks Dawgs

OKOTOKS, Alta. — The Edmonton Prospects held off the Okotoks Dawgs late and claimed the 10-8 victory on Wednesday night at Seaman Stadium.

The Prospects now lead the best-of-five Western Division semifinal 2-0.

The Dawgs had the tying run at the dish in the ninth in Nate DeChaine (Morningside College), but Mike Gahan struck him out on six pitches to end the game in front of 3,294 fans.

The Prospects jumped all over the Dawgs in the first with three-straight hits, highlighted by an RBI triple by Gahan to score a pair of quick runs.

In the second, Eric Craine cranked the second RBI triple of the game when he scored Anthony Cusati from first. Zane Tahkar drove home the Prospects fourth run when he plated Craine on a fielder’s choice.

Tahkar slapped a two-out, two-strike single down the right field line in the fourth to score Cusati and end Cody Ebert’s (Columbia College) evening.

Ebert, who was one of three starting pitchers named a Western Major Baseball League First Team All-Star, experienced his shortest outing of the season. He went 3 2/3 innings, gave up seven hits, four earned runs and only struck out two.

DeChaine picked up his starter in the fourth when he deposited a two-run home run over the centre field fence.

In the top of the fifth, Cusati belted his second home run of the series with Nick Spillman and Gahan on base. The inning was kept alive for Cusati after Abdiel Alicea (Tabor College) misplayed a double play ball, which allowed Percy Liu to score.

The Dawgs chased Connor Burns in the sixth when Eddie Sanchez (Central Arkansas University) cranked a two-run double, Will Hollis (Cisco College) scored one on a double and Ryan Humeniuk (Indian Hills Community College) added another two with a two-out triple.

The Prospects added an insurance run in the eighth when Liu singled with two outs to score Aidan Huggins, which made it 10-7.

In the bottom of the eighth, Spillman robbed J.T. Patterson (Bellevue University) with a diving stop down the first base line. On the fielder’s choice, Alicea scored his second run of the game.

In the other Western Division semifinal, the Lethbridge Bulls evened up their series 1-1 with the Medicine Hat Mavericks after they won 5-2 tonight at Athletic Park.

Game 3 of this series goes Thursday night (7:05 p.m.) at RE/MAX Field in Edmonton.