This weekend was Opening Weekend for the Western Canadian Baseball League, and the Weyburn Beavers came out with some impressive performances Friday and Saturday at home, even if they didn’t finish on the winning side of the scoreboard.
Friday night was the home opener, with the defending champion Moose Jaw Miller Express in town. The Beavers would stay with the Miller Express up until the final stages of the game, with Moose Jaw coming away with a 5-3 victory.
The Beavers were hampered a bit by errors, with a total of seven committed in the game, including three in the first inning alone that directly led to two runs. Despite the errors, though, there were some solid performances on the home side.
Starting pitcher Ryan Meyer went seven innings, striking out six while only being tagged with one earned run. At the plate, Ian Heck and Ryan Muizelaar each recorded an RBI in the loss.
One of the biggest highlights of the game came in the 3rd inning, when Quinten Smith made a diving catch to rob Moose Jaw designated hitter Elijah Bear of what looked like a sure-fire single to left field.
Saturday, the Swift Current 57s were in town, and two-way phenom Heck would make his first WCBL start on the mound. He would go six innings, striking out 10, and limiting the 57s to just three runs. At the plate, Heck would go 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI as well. The Beavers, though, would end up coming up short in the game, as they were outscored 9-5.
The other RBIs for the Beavers in the loss came from Ryan Webster and Jacob Carlson. Webster finished the night going 3-for-4 at the plate in his first game of the season. Quinten Smith also had a solid outing, as he was 2-for-4 at the plate with a double.
The Beavers were scheduled to play a matinee on Sunday in Swift Current, but the weather would prevent that from happening. The game was postponed, with a make-up date to be scheduled at a later date.
The next action for the Beavers will be on Tuesday, when the Lethbridge Bulls come to town.