Dawgs sweep Cardinals, clinch playoff berth

Calgary native Nick Vickers tossed six no-hit innings for the Okotoks Dawgs on Wednesday. Photo: Amanda Fewer

July 24, 2019

By Dan Khavkin

Okotoks Dawgs

The Okotoks Dawgs took care of business on Wednesday night and completed the sweep of the Yorkton Cardinals with a 13-1 rout.

With the Edmonton Prospects’ loss on Wednesday, the Dawgs have secured a playoff berth for the 16th consecutive season.

The victory, which secured the Dawgs their sixth series sweep of the season. gave the club a perfect 6-0 record on their Saskatchewan road trip and their seventh consecutive win overall.

Virginia Tech hurler and Dawgs Academy alumni Nick Vickers threw six no-hit innings for the Dawgs before being lifted due to pitch count restrictions. The Calgary native struck out eight Cardinals batters and improved his season record to 4-1.

The Dawgs (34-10) opened the scoring with four runs in the first inning thanks to three Cardinals’ errors.

They added four more runs in the second when Dawgs players collectively hit for a cycle. Tiffin University catcher Noah Penney connected on a breaking ball to crush a solo home run to left-centre-field to open the inning. Liam Rihela then tripled and was driven in by Okanagan College senior Davis Todosichuk before University of Nebraska shortstop Shay Schanaman drove in Todosichuk. Meadow Lake, Sask. native and University of Houston product Brett Esau also drilled an RBI double in the inning.

After two scoreless innings, Todosichuk ripped an RBI double in the fifth to push the score to 9-0.

The Dawgs added two more runs in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Bellevue University first baseman Riley Baasch and an RBI single from Schanaman.

In the top of the eighth, UBC's Jaxon Valcke earned a bases-loaded walk before Penney singled in the Dawgs’ 13th and final run of the game.

The Cardinals got their first base hit of the game in the seventh inning and broke the Dawgs’ shutout bid the following frame..

The Dawgs will spend Thursday travelling back to Seaman Stadium in preparation for their final meeting of the season against the Edmonton Prospects on Friday, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m.