Dawgs win fifth in a row
Right-hander Brendan Logan, shown here with the UBC Thunderbirds, started and pitched five innings for the Okotoks Dawgs on Monday. Photo: UBC Athletics
June 3, 2019
By Dan Khavkin
Okotoks Dawgs
Edmonton, AB - The Okotoks Dawgs remain undefeated during the early days of the 2019 WCBL season. The Dawgs (5-0) picked up their fifth consecutive win of the young season against rival Edmonton Prospects (4-2) on the road inside RE/MAX Field Monday night.
Both Prospect losses came at the hands of the Dawgs.
UBC Thunderbird product Brendan Logan got the start in Edmonton against Prospect counterpart Jackson Bandow. Logan’s strong effort earned him the win on the night.
Logan admits he was put in a unique situation getting the nod tonight. “It’s been a long time since I started… maybe about a year so I took it an inning at a time and it worked out for me,” he comments.
“My arm wasn’t in 100 per cent shape so I’m glad I got gassed when I did,” he says with a laugh.
Logan, in relation to catcher Gavin Logan, pitched a solid five innings while surrendering four hits, two walks on four strikeouts in his second appearance of the season.
Playing with his cousin made the unique start for the regular reliever go by much smoother.
“When I go out there, I really do get comfortable. Pitching for 12 years with him is awesome and helps me mentally a ton.”
He concludes commenting on the help he had. “When we get runs in that early the way we did helps any pitcher,”
He had plenty of offence to support his solid control of the mound as a stretch of hot swings propelled the Okotoks offence early on.
The Dawgs got to the Yale University starter Bandow early, racking up four runs on the Prospect pitcher in just two innings.
Two straight singles with one out to open the game allowed for Jaxon Valcke’s sacrifice fly to be the game’s first run with runners on the corner.
In the second, two more consecutive singles and an error loaded the bases with zero outs, giving the Dawgs enough opportunity to press heavily and string together a three-run inning following.
Centre fielder and Okanagan college product Davis Todosichuk doubled the lead with a base-hit single that left the bases juiced.
Todosichuk had an outstanding game patrolling centre field and chipped in with a hit and an RBI.
“The pitching staff did outrageous today and us the fielders were solid behind them. We know there’s lots of space in this field and with our offence being the way it has been, our effort spoke for itself” he says.
“We did our best to have the contact guys hit the ball opposite field and let the power guys do what they do.”
Another error helped Thompson Rivers second basemen Liam Rihela to bring in the next run before finally Brett Esau’s sac fly concluded the offensive run in the second.
Bandow pitched until he got yanked at the beginning of the fifth inning for relief pitcher Hayden Dow.
Dow surrendered three starlight hits to load the bases from the get-go with zero outs.
He walked in the fifth run with bases loaded before Dawgs Academy prospect Ayden Makarus secured a two-run RBI double to conclude the Dawgs’ second three-run inning for his side.
Logan got tagged out by Noah Geekie at the bottom of the sixth.
Geekie dug himself a hole he had to get pulled out of by Indiana University Southeast pitcher Andrew Yates.
Okotoks’ shutout ball game was snapped during his relief job, giving up three runs on three hits in 2/3 of an inning before Dawgs veteran Yates stopped the run of the Prospects who forced a pop fly to subdue a bases loaded situation.
Relief appearances from Kaleb Huxford Galen Manhard helped secure the win for Okotoks.
The Dawgs travel back to Seaman Stadium and await an opening day rematch against the Brook Bombers with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m., while the Prospects host defending league champions Medicine Hat Mavericks.