After a thrilling win in extra innings Tuesday night, the Weyburn Beavers were looking to bring the momentum into the game Wednesday against the Lethbridge Bulls to make it two victories in a row. The Bulls, however, had different plans.
Lethbridge starting pitcher Drew Lenehan would ring up eight strikeouts in five innings of work to keep the bats of the Beavers at bay, and the bullpen took over from there as the Bulls went on to a 10-2 victory to get their first win of the young season.
“I think after a big win last night, that they came prepared and ready to go and then we were kind of playing catch up from there,” head coach Cam Williams said after the game. “So, big win last night but we got to do a better job of being ready to go, and regardless of the game the night before.”
“It was a rough game,” said freshman shortstop Quinten Smith. “Left a lot of people on. I feel like we didn’t hit as good as yesterday, and could have been cleaner on the mound and in the field.”
Lethbridge would get on the board in the first inning when a single to left field from Carter Claerhout cashed in two runs. Lethbridge added to the lead in the second with a sacrifice fly from Nick Gravel, making it 3-0. Two more runs were scored in the seventh with Claerhout and Kyle Yip each driving in a run, and then another came in the eighth when Gravel scored on a wild pitch.
The Beavers would then start to rally back in the bottom half of the inning, as they would load the bases with a pair of singles and a hit-by-pitch. Ian Heck would drive in a run on a single to right field. His fifth RBI of the season would extend his RBI streak to four games.
Ryan Dauphinee, coming in as a pinch hitter for Ryan Webster, would then get hit by a pitch in a scary situation as it went off his helmet. He would get up, though, and was able to stay in the game. He was also credited with an RBI as it came with bases loaded.
This, however, would be as close as the Beavers would get, as the Bulls would shut down the Beavers for the rest of the game while adding four more runs on the board.
Lenehan would be credited with the win in the game, and given the situation when he came out in the eighth inning, pitcher Lucas Nuynh was credited with a save.
For the Beavers, Tyler Pechetti was tagged with the loss. He allowed two earned runs on five hits in three innings of work while striking out one. Aiden Maas would pitch three scoreless innings in relief before Logan Wortman took over on the mound in the seventh.
Wortman finished up allowing two runs on three hits while striking out one. Angel Fragozo would pitch the eighth innings, allowing one run on one hit with three strikeouts. Joe Hart finished the game, allowing four runs on four hits.
At the plate, the Beavers were led by Ryan Muizelaar, who was 3-for-4. He was also the only Beaver to record more than one hit in the game.
The Beavers will now have a night off before they host the Saskatoon Berries at Tom Laing Park on Friday.