The Weyburn Beavers couldn’t recover from a rough start Wednesday night at Tom Laing Park, falling 7-3 to the Medicine Hat Mavericks in front of 421 fans. A seven-run deficit proved too much to overcome despite a spirited push in the second half of the game.
Beavers head coach Cam Williams was blunt in his assessment of the early innings.
“Yeah, I think we just had a tough start and kind of dug ourselves a hole,” said Williams. “Got behind 7-0, just not playing very well. And, you know, I do think the second half of the game was a bit of a different story.”
The Mavericks struck early and often, scoring in each of the first four innings. Medicine Hat's Carter Roth and Evan Morrison each drove in two runs, while Aaron Vulcano added three hits and an RBI. Morrison’s two-run home run in the fourth capped the scoring for the Mavericks.
Weyburn starter Owen McConnell was tagged with the loss, allowing 11 hits and seven runs, five of them earned, over four innings. It was an uncharacteristic outing for the right-hander, whose season ERA climbed to 4.70.
“He’s been really good this year,” said Williams. “Realistically, like, two errors in the first two innings, that kind of affects... we say it shouldn’t, but it does affect the rest of your outing and the pitches you’re trying to make.”
The Beavers did show signs of life in the later innings. RBIs from Zach Tanabe and Rob Gurney helped cut the deficit, while third baseman Trevor Dale led the way with three hits. Ian Heck also chipped in with three singles, raising his average to .384.
The bullpen was a bright spot for Weyburn. Joe Hart, Jasiah Mendoza, and Jaxon Henderson combined for five scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out five.
“Bullpen’s been really sharp the last week and a half, two weeks or so,” Williams said. “It’s been really good to see, and we’ll rely on them down the stretch here.”
Weyburn now turns its attention to the team’s Alberta road swing, often seen as a grind in the WCBL schedule.
“We play our game, we’ve got a really good chance to come away with a handful of W’s,” Williams said. “It’s something I always look forward to. See some friends and family, and just have the guys on the road. I think it’s good team bonding, go for dinner, have everyone in the hotel and on the road.”
The Alberta swing opens Friday in Okotoks, with another game against the Dawgs on Saturday. Then, the Beavers head to Brooks for two games against the Bombers, then play the Lethbridge Bulls in a doubleheader on Canada Day.
The team will be back in front of a home crowd at Tom Laing Park on July 6th, when the Saskatoon Berries come to town.