Dawgs take back-and-forth affair over Bombers

June 30, 2018

By Tyler Lowey

Okotoks Dawgs

Brooks, AB — The Okotoks Dawgs hung on to a 7-6 victory in a wild one at Elks Stadium against the Brooks Bombers on Saturday.

The first five innings saw 12 runs scored, three home runs and three lead changes.

The craziness began in the first inning when Dawgs Academy product and Grade 12 student Graham Brunner surrendered a solo shot to the Western Major Baseball League home run leader Riley MacDonald. The designated hitter now has 16 home runs this season.

In the fourth, No. 9 hitter Andrew Leggo drilled a three-run home run to left field, which made it 6-5 Bombers. It ended up being the most runs Brunner has allowed this year. He lasted five innings, allowed six earned, eight hits and struck out five.

The Dawgs were down 6-5 in the top of the fifth when Nate DeChaine (Morningside College) crushed his seventh home run of the campaign to left- centre field.

Brandon Sparks (Bellevue University) recorded his most productive game as a Dawg. The right fielder answered the Bombers opening run by driving in Riley Baasch (Bellevue University) and Cole MacLaren (University of Pittsburgh).

Sparks picked up his third RBI of the game in the fourth when he singled in Ryan Humeniuk (Indian Hills Community College), who led the inning off with a double.

Sparks also scored a run in the second when he touched home on one of three Richard Mascarenas’ (Linn-Benton Community College) base hits.

MacLaren put of a great display of heads-up base running when he scored on a wild pitch in the fourth and raced home during a fielder’s choice at second base in the sixth.

The craziness settled down in the bottom of the sixth when Dustin Schorie (Mesa Community College) came on for the Dawgs (15-8). He went two innings, held the Bombers off the board, struck out two and picked up his first win.

Craig Smith (Columbia College) struck out two in the ninth for his fifth save and first since June 17, when he closed out a 7-6 win over the Bombers.

Bombers starter Brandon Hiller gave up 10 hits and seven earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. His record dropped to 0-4.

The Bombers (6-16) are now 0-16 in franchise history against the Dawgs.