July 18, 2019

By Dan Khavkin

Okotoks Dawgs

Medicine Hat, Alta – The Okotoks Dawgs used eight pitchers in 17 innings over the course of six-and-a-half hours to beat the Medicine Hat Mavericks 9-8 in a game that ended early Friday morning.

This was the first extra-inning contest for the Dawgs (28-10) this season.

The Dawgs opened the contest by scoring three runs in the top of the first on RBI singles from UBC infielder Jaxon Valcke, Nebraska University infielder and eventual winning pitcher Shay Schanaman and Texas State’s Will Hollis.

Hollis pushed the Dawgs lead to 4-0 with his second RBI of the game in the third inning.

The Mavericks got on the board in the fifth inning to break Dawgs starter Nolan Ruff’s shutout bid.

The Dawgs answered with two runs in the top of the seventh when Bellevue University first baseman Riley Baasch and Oregon State commit Jacob Melton registered back-to-back RBI doubles to expand the Dawgs’ lead to 6-1.

The Mavericks, however, would rally in the bottom of the seventh, racking up six runs off three different Dawgs pitchers to take a 7-6 lead.

Mavericks reliever (and former Okotoks Dawgs hurler) Austin Oulds came in to close out the game but allowed the tying run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Valcke.

With the teams tied 7-7, they went into extra innings. Academy of Arts pitcher Galen Manhard ensured that it stayed that way for the Dawgs when he stepped out of the bullpen and threw six scoreless innings.

The Dawgs finally scored another run in the top of the 16th when Valcke recorded an RBI single that gave this squad an 8-7 advantage until the Mavs tied the game again in the bottom of the frame.

But the Dawgs would rebound to score another run on a bases-loaded walk to Thompson Rivers' Liam Rihela in the 17th.

Schanaman, who had allowed the game-tying run in the 16th inning, shut the Mavs down in the 17th to earn the win at around 1:30 a.m.

The Dawgs now travel east to Saskatchewan to open a three-game series against the Melville Millionaires.