June 9, 2018

Dawgs take two from Bulls

By Tyler Lowey

Okotoks Dawgs

Lethbridge, AB — The Okotoks Dawgs capped off a two-game sweep over the Lethbridge Bulls with an 8-5 victory Saturday night at Spitz Stadium during Western Major Baseball League action.

The Dawgs (5-2) scored in the first inning for the first time this season when their leading RBI man Nate DeChaine (Morningside College) singled home Eddie Sanchez (Central Arkansas) on a liner to right field.

DeChaine added to his total in the seventh when he singled home Brandon Sparks (Bellevue University) with two out.

Mason Swegarden (Mayville State University) was making his first start since the home opener June 2. He coughed up nine hits in six innings, but kept the Bulls to three earned runs and struck out three. His record improved to 2-0.

In Andrew Grieder’s second start of the season, he went six innings, gave up four runs, two earned, and struck out five. He was saddled with the loss and now sits 1-1.

After seeing Marcus Skundrich (Mesa Community College) and Ryan Humeniuk (Indian Hills Community College) get thrown out at home plate in the second, Sparks singled to left field to score Greg Student (Mesa Community College) and give the Dawgs an early 2-0 lead.

Richard Mascarenas (Linn-Benton Community College) led off the third with a walk, advanced on a passed ball and scored on an error charged to Dylan Borman. It was Riley Baasch (Bellevue University) who reached on Borman’s error. He later scored when Collin Ridout (Tennessee Wesleyan University) cranked a double off the left field wall.

In the bottom half of the third, the Bulls (1-7) scored a pair when Blake MacDonald blooped one into shallow right-centre field.

Hank Forrest has been difficult to figure out for the Dawgs. Last night he went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles. In his second at bat this evening, he ripped a double down the right field line. The very next pitch, he came around to score on the blooper from Brett Mercier.

Adding insurance in the seventh was pinch-hitting Will Hollis (Cisico Community College), whose infield single was placed perfectly enough to score Mascarenas from third. Next up was Ridout, who ripped one off new pitcher Derrick Talon. His throwing error to first allowed DeChaine and Hollis to score.

Junior Ramirez (Bellevue University) struggled in his debut with the Dawgs. He gave up a home run to MacDonald and two more doubles in the eighth.

Jordan Pepper (Seward County Community College) came on in the ninth for the second-straight day and worked a scoreless inning for his first save of the season.