July 17, 2019

By Dan Khavkin

Okotoks Dawgs

Okotoks, Alta - The Okotoks Dawgs scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning but that wasn’t enough, as they were defeated 11-8 by the Medicine Hat Mavericks at Seaman Stadium on Wednesday.

The loss was just the second the Dawgs have suffered at home this season. It also marked the fifth time the Dawgs have yielded more than 10 runs in a game this season.

After the Mavericks tallied a run in the top half of the first, the Dawgs responded with a run of their own in the bottom half after Okanagan College senior Davis Todosichuk chopped a slow-roller down the third-base line that was thrown over the first baseman’s head, allowing Tristan Peters, who had walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch, to score.

The Mavericks regained the lead with two runs in the top of the second before the Dawgs tied the contest again on a fielder’s choice from Thompson Rivers second baseman Liam Rihela and a sacrifice fly from Peters in the second inning.

The Mavericks’ offence went to work again in the third inning and they drove Dawgs starter Nick Vickers out of the game. Colby Community College pitcher Tyler McWillie replaced Vickers but gave up three more runs and the Mavericks took a 7-3 lead.

In the fourth inning, Mavericks pitcher Hunter Cooper was hit by a come-backer and had to leave the game, forcing the Mavs to bring in former Dawgs pitcher Bryce Libke to face his old squad. Libke would surrender three runs in the frame, as Todosichuk singled in a run before Bellevue infielder Riley Baasch added a two-run single to make it a one-run game.

The Mavericks would, however, respond with three runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to push their lead to 11-6.

The Dawgs rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth on another Baasch RBI single and a bases loaded walk to Noah Penney.

But that was as close as the Dawgs would get, as former Okotoks Dawgs pitcher Austin Oulds, despite loading the bases in the ninth, got the final three outs for the Mavs to secure the save.

The series-finale shifts to Medicine Hat with the first pitch set for Thursday at 7:05 p.m.