Prospects beat Dawgs in playoff opener

By Tyler Lowey

Okotoks Dawgs

OKOTOKS, Alta. — The Edmonton Prospects won Game 1 of the best-of-five Western Division semifinal 5-2 over the Okotoks Dawgs on Tuesday night at Seaman Stadium.

Mason Swegarden (Mayville State University) tossed his first complete game of the season for the Dawgs and got slapped with the loss. He threw 97 strikes and only allowed three earned runs, six hits and struck out eight batters.

Prospects catcher Anthony Cusati scored the first run of the game in the third when he lifted a solo home run over the left-centre fence.

The Prospects added four runs in the fifth when they batted around the order. The Prospects loaded the bases with one out on three singles, when an error to Richard Mascarenas (Linn-Benton Community College) and Riley Baasch (Bellevue University) allowed two runs to score. A.J. Nitzschke and Mike Gahan recorded RBI singles.

Edgar Barclay worked with traffic all night but held the Dawgs to one run and seven hits though seven innings. He also struck out 11 batters and won his first game of the postseason.

Ryan Humeniuk (Indian Hills Community College) got the Dawgs on the board in the fifth when he doubled to left field to score Abdiel Alicea (Tabor College).

Chase Morris came on in the seventh for the Prospects and pitched 2 2/3 innings, allowed one earned run and struck out one batter.

Josh Sieglitz came on with two outs in the ninth to retire the potential tying run Humeniuk and recorded the save.

In the other Western Division semifinal, the Medicine Hat Mavericks defeated the Lethbridge Bulls 5-2 at Athletic Park.

Game 2 of this series goes Wednesday night (7:05 p.m.) back at Seaman Stadium.