July 21, 2019

By Dan Khavkin

Okotoks Dawgs

Melville, Sask. — The Okotoks Dawgs completed a sweep of the Melville Millionaires on Sunday, after picking up two-straight seven-inning wins.

On Sunday afternoon, Lewis-Clark State lefty Justin Hammergren tossed a complete-game to lead the Dawgs to a 5-1 victory in the first game of a doubleheader. Hammergren, who earned his fourth win of the season, allowed just six hits while striking out eight .

UBC infielder Jaxon Valcke opened the scoring for the Dawgs in the first inning by launching a two-run home run. Thompson Rivers second baseman Liam Rihela added an RBI double in the frame to make it 3-0.

The Dawgs extended their lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning courtesy of a two-out RBI single from Oregon State commit Jacob Melton.

Melville tallied their lone run in the fifth when a runner scored on a sacrifice fly that went into foul territory.

The Dawgs added an insurance run on a RBI fielder’s choice from Dawgs Academy graduate Noah Penney in the seventh.

Game 2

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Dawgs blanked an opponent for the first time this season with an 8-0 rout of the Millionaires.

UBC pitcher Jared Spearing threw a complete-game shutout to lift the Dawgs to their 31st win of the season.

In the second inning, the Dawgs scored two runs on three walks, a hit-by-pitch and a wild pitch and added a third run on a passed ball in the third inning. The Dawgs then extended their lead to 4-0 courtesy of UBC's Valcke, who cashed a runner in on a fielder's-choice in the fourth inning.

The Dawgs blew the game wide open with a four-run sixth inning. Oregon State's Melton began the inning with a lead-off triple and scored as the ball was overthrown into the dugout. A fielder's choice from Okanagan College senior Davis Todosichuk and an RBI double from Bellevue University infielder Riley Baasch pushed the lead to 7-0 before Nebraska Husker product Shay Schanaman capped the inning off with a sacrifice fly.

The Dawgs stay in the East to open a three-game set with the Yorkton Cardinals on Monday night at 7:05 p.m.