Dawgs outlast Mavs, win third straight

Lewis-Clark State pitcher Justin Hammergren picked up his second win for the Okotoks Dawgs on Wednesday, allowing just two runs on six hits in seven innings. Photo: Lewis-Clark State Athletics

June 19, 2019

By Dan Khavkin

Okotoks Dawgs

Medicine Hat, AB- The Okotoks Dawgs relied on clutch defence and lights-out late-inning pitching to defeat the reigning WCBL champion Medicine Hat Mavericks 4-3 on Wednesday night.

Dating back to last season, the Dawgs had been 1-4 against the Mavericks.

Lewis-Clark State pitcher Justin Hammergren picked up his second win in his second start for the Dawgs this season, allowing two runs on six hits in seven innings while also fanning four batters.

Chandler-Gilbert outfielder Tristan Peters tied his Texas State teammate Will Hollis for the WCBL lead in home runswith his sixth home run — a solo shot that sailed over the right-field wall in the second inning.

The Mavs trimmed an early 3-0 Okotoks’ lead after stringing together back-to-back base hits. After surrendering his first hit of the game, Hammergren found himself in a jam after giving up two more base-hits that saw the Mavs tally two runs in the bottom of the fourth. But Hammergren would settle in and shut out the Mavs the rest of the way.

“I wanted to get up there and throw zeroes and send everyone back in the dugout, get the offence back on the field,” said Hammergren after the game.

His mindset was to just get outs.

“Just throw strikes and trust the defence behind me and they did just that. We had no errors and that helps,” said Hammergren.

The Dawgs had the bases loaded in the sixth inning with one out when Mavericks pitcher Brandon Ponticelli drilled Dawgs second baseman Shay Shanaman with a pitch, allowing the Dawgs to score their fourth run of the game.

Medicine Hat put threw together a late-game, eighth-inning rally when the Mavs loaded the bases with no outs. But Dawgs relief pitcher Brendan Logan got a double play ball that brought in one Mavs’ run before he was replaced by Andrew Yates who fanned the only batter he faced to end the inning.

With a 4-3 lead heading into the final inning, third-year Dustin Schorie retired the Mavs in the ninth to secure the save.

The Dawgs travel back to Seaman Stadium and host a Thursday night meeting against rival Edmonton Prospects with the first pitch set for 7:05 p.m.