Sunday July 02, 2017

Dawgs' winning streak ends at four against 57’s

By Dustin Saracini

Okotoks, AB - The (16-9) Okotoks Dawgs split their two-game series with the (15-9) Swift Current 57’s during their Sunday matinee at Seaman Stadium, dropping a 17-6 game.

A Kody Funderburk (Dallas Baptist) two-run blast and a multi-hit day from Zach Hanna (University of Alabama) wasn’t enough to overcome the potent offence from the reigning WMBL champions, who collected 21 hits on the day.

“It comes from leadership,” assistant coach Dave Robb said following the loss.

“[Yesterday] Anthony Balderas went out and pitched well and that kind of set the tone for everybody. Whereas today, it didn’t happen. A dropped fly ball in the first and they got a couple .. they put up a lot of crooked numbers.”

An early error dug the Dawgs a hole in the top of the first. A pop fly to shallow left field found the grass, giving the 57’s an opportunity with runners in scoring position. A well executed bunt and a pair of RBI singles from Blake Adams and Grant Van Scoy allowed Swift Current to jump out in front, 2-0.

With their first cracks at the plate, Okotoks chipped away. Jayse McLean (North Dakota State University) did it all himself and picked up right where he left off a night ago. A stand-up double scorched off the wall in centre put the Montana product in a position to steal third before coming home on a throwing error.

Swift Current erased McLean’s work in the top of the third, reclaiming their two-run lead off a sac-fly to left field

Things would change quite quickly in the bottom half. After cruising to two outs, Matt Lloyd (Indiana University) singled to extend his hitting streak to six games, setting up Funderburk. The Dallas Baptist product wouldn’t disappoint, sending an opposite field shot over the left field wall for his sixth home run of the campaign, tying the contest at 3-3. The blast elevated him to second on the club in RBI with 22.

“That’s what Dallas Baptist likes, guys who can hit bombs,” Robb said of Funderburk.

“He’s going to be one of them. He’s still learning and he’s still willing to learn and still working hard at it, so, he’s just going to get better and better with it.”

Much like they did in the third, the 57’s offence kept coming, rallying with two outs to score four in the fourth while tacking on three more in the fifth and ninth, putting the game out of reach.

Cameron Campbell (University of Oregon) and Craig Spencer (MacMurray College) cut into the lead throughout the contest, driving in three between the two, but a five-run deficit was as close as the Dawgs would get.

The red and white continue their homestand with a two-game series against the Weyburn Beavers on Monday.

BY THE NUMBERS:

Kody Funderburk (R): 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, .315 AVG

Zach Hanna (R): 2-4, 2 2B, R, .317 AVG

OF RECORD:

WP: Bobby St. Pierre (3-3) LP: Chris Horvath (3-1)