June 2, 2019

By Dan Khavkin

Okotoks Dawgs

Okotoks, AB- A complete team effort secured a 6-3 win for the Okotoks Dawgs (4-0) over the Fort McMurray Giants (1-4) on Sunday afternoon in WCBL action inside a sunny Seaman Stadium.

The Dawgs formulated their first sweep of this season and notched their 13th consecutive win against the Giants dating to 2017.

18U Dawgs Academy Black prospect and 16-year-old Matt Wilkinson made his collegiate debut for the Dawgs this afternoon.

“The mindset is to not let anyone be better than me and expect to win,” he says after his outstanding debut.

The former Little League World Series strikeout record holder played stellar in his senior team debut, striking out eight batters through seven shutout innings of solid pitching, allowing only five hits.

“It was a very warming feeling. The crowd was so into it and it really reminds me it’s the best place in baseball… I can’t wait to spend my college summers here,” the teenager concludes on playing in front of 3,456 fans.

Contrary to the night before, the offence was subdued thanks to steady and confident pitching that kept the batters at bay.

Okotoks did not land a base hit until the fourth inning while the Giants had a steady stream of hits, leaving a runner or two on base an inning but had nothing come out of it until the latter half of the game.

Giants starter Riley Enns pitched five innings surrendering only three hits but one run. Pitcher Tucker Sorensen got the loss under his name for surrendering three earned runs on three hits.

Relief pitcher Tyler Hodder relief job saw a two-spot on the board in the bottom of the six.

Will Hollis’ launch job marks back-to-back-to-back games with home runs as his two-run bomb tripled the Okotoks lead at 3-0 after an earlier sac fly on Enns forced him out.

Graham Brunner came into relief of Wilkinson in the eight but surrendered the first run of the game on defense on a Tanner Hess RBI double that clipped the lead at 3-1 with one out.

On deck was Richard Ortiz who tied the ball game at 3-3 with his two-run homer in the top of the eight. Brunner stopped any more damage and got out of the inning with a tied ball game.

The Dawgs responded with the deadliest blow of the game thanks to a team effort that put a three-spot of their own.

Clutch base-running from third-baseman Brett Esau who risked running to second safely, along with a Tristan Peters walk and hero of last night, Jaxon Valcke’s bunt single loaded the bases for Hollis, setting the stage for the play of the game.

Hollis lands a single in the outfield to bring in the score-changing two runs before stealing a base the next pitch to put runners on second and third.

Pinch hitter and Dawgs Academy prospect Ayden Makarus had plenty to work with one out with his sac fly that cashed in Valcke to double the lead back to 6-3.

Billy Brand closed out the ninth for his second save of the season.

Okotoks travels to Edmonton for their make-up game from Thursday night against the Prospects meanwhile the Giants head home and host the Medicine Hat Mavericks for a four-game home-stand.