Patterson, Peters go deep in Dawgs win over Edmonton

By Dan Khavkin

Okotoks Dawgs

Edmonton, Alta. –The Okotoks Dawgs put on an all-star showcase of their own prior to the inaugural Western Canada Baseball League all-star game with the destruction of rival Edmonton Prospects, picking up a 15-2 victory Saturday night.

Okotoks won the season series 4-2, outscoring the Prospects 40-31.

Four of the six Dawgs selected for Sunday’s first all-star showcase started in tonight’s matchup and contributed with seven runs and two RBIs.

WCBL all-star select and league batting average leader Tristan Peters (Winkler, Man.) proved why he sits atop of the pile, leading the game off with a missile solo shot inside the WCBL’s deepest ball-park to give the Dawgs an early 1-0 lead.

For the Chandler-Gilbert student it was his eighth long bomb of the season and second lead-off home run of the game this season.

Oregon State commit and WCBL all-star Richard Mascarenas saw fellow all-star and Okanagan College senior Davis Todosichuk from second to third after swiping second base before the third one allowed him to cross home-plate.

UBC infielder and all-star first baseman Jaxon Valcke (St. Marys, Ont.) fouled the ball of his leg and needed assistance to leave the ball-game. He did not return.

Edmonton however, methodically wore out Dawgs starting pitcher Nick Vickers by sending seven batters to the plate in the bottom half.

Vickers surrendered three walks in his first inning including a walk with the bases loaded that tied the ball game at 1-1.

The Virginia Tech hurler settled down after shaky start and threw two straight scoreless innings including four total strikeouts through his three innings before getting replaced by Graham Brunner (Edmonton, Alta.).

Crowder College’s Brunner entered the game with authority, keeping the Prospects off the board during his three-inning performance, surrendering one hit and fanning five on route to the win.

Both the Dawgs Academy grads also kept the Prospects to a mere two hits and kept Edmonton hitless from the second inning to fifth.

The Dawgs broke an early 1-1 stalemate thanks to strong plate discipline, chasing Prospects starter Austin Herrington out of the game and being just as tough on reliever Jackson Bandow. A fly ball from Iowa-Western outfielder Isiah Peterson followed by an RBI single from all-star outfielder Todosichuk scored a pair.

With the Dawgs up 4-1, an RBI double from Bellevue University infielder Riley Baasch led to a run-scoring fly ball from teammate J.T Patterson (Calgary, Alta.) pushed the lead to 6-1. The Bellevue connection tallied eight Dawgs runs in the game.

Edmonton’s third hit of the ball-game brought in a run in the bottom of the seventh.

Okotoks added their third consecutive two-spot on the board with the Bellevue connection adding another RBI apiece.

With the score 8-1, the Dawgs showed no mercy to the Prospects with a seven-run showing to end the ball game.

Peterson landed an RBI triple before a fly ball from Indiana University product Dane Tofteland (Grande Prairie, Alta.) and RBI single from Oregon State commit Jacob Melton set Patterson to send a moonshot grand slam completing the route.

Okotoks will have six players stay overnight for the all-star game with the home run derby set for 2 pm before the East vs. West showdown goes down at 4 pm, inside RE/MAX field.