A dramatic seventh inning proved to be the turning point as the Weyburn Beavers powered past the Regina Red Sox 7-4 Thursday night at Tom Laing Park, thanks to clutch hitting, strong pitching, and some emotional fireworks.
With the game tied 1-1 heading into the late innings, both teams were locked in a tense pitcher’s duel. Weyburn starter Owen McConnell delivered another impressive outing, allowing just one run over six innings while striking out seven. His counterpart, Regina’s Blake Johnson, was equally sharp, fanning eight over six innings of one-run ball.
But things unravelled quickly for the visitors in the bottom of the seventh.
After Weyburn pushed ahead with a pair of runs to take the lead, emotions boiled over when Regina right fielder Jackson Syring was ejected following a heated exchange with first base umpire Sean Weatherill. The outburst disrupted the Red Sox defensively, with Sam Baker entering to play second base and Justin Simard shifting to right field.
Weyburn would take full advantage of the chaos in the next inning.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the eighth, left fielder Ryan Dauphinee delivered the game’s biggest blow: a bases-clearing triple that broke the game open.
“I got down early in the count and then he left one over the plate,” said Dauphinee, who finished 3-for-5 with 4 RBI. “I got a good barrel and I’m glad it got by. I don’t get many triples, so yeah, it was a good time for it.”
“Ultimately, we had really good at-bats late in the game,” said Beavers head coach Cam Williams. “That’s something we’ve been really trying to stress, and I’m just really proud of the guys, how they battled all night.”
The Red Sox had mounted a brief comeback in the top of the eighth, scoring three runs off reliever Isaiah Granado to make it a one-run game. But Logan Kinter came in to record the final five outs, preserving the win and improving his record to 1-3.
Ironically, it was the previously ejected Syring’s replacement, Sam Baker, who struck out with runners in scoring position to end the game, sealing Weyburn’s second win in a row.
“It was a weird night,” said Williams. “You go to the ballpark, you’ll see something you maybe haven’t seen before, multiple times. But we stayed even keel, and I think that was the difference. We were better with that stuff than they were.”
Now 4-7 on the year, the Beavers head out for a three-game road swing, looking to build on Thursday’s all-around performance.
“Offensively, we’ve been really good, defensively really good, and our pitchers have been outstanding,” Dauphinee said. “We’ve just got to carry everything we’ve been doing… and we’re only going to get better.”
The Beavers will have a rematch in Regina Friday night against the Red Sox, before heading to Saskatoon for two games against the East Division leading Saskatoon Berries Saturday and Sunday.