The Weyburn Beavers couldn’t muster enough offence Thursday night at Tom Laing Park, dropping a 7–1 decision to the visiting Sylvan Lake Gulls in the first of back-to-back games between the two teams.
Despite the final score, Weyburn starter Joe Hart turned in a strong performance, allowing just one run over five innings while striking out four.
“I think Joe Hart gave us a heck of a start,” said Beavers head coach Cam Williams postgame. “Going five innings, one-run baseball. Obviously, their guy threw well, too, and their bullpen was good. I just think that our urgency early in the game especially weren’t where it needed to be.”
Sylvan Lake broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning, then took full control in the seventh with a four-run outburst, highlighted by a two-run homer from shortstop Jaden Flores. They added two more in the eighth to seal the win.
Williams said the Gulls capitalized on missed opportunities.
“I think if you make mistake pitches, they're going to hurt you,” he noted. “When we made our pitches and got ahead in the count, we had success. But when we fell behind or missed our pitch, they made us pay for it.”
Relievers Isaiah Granado and Zach Tanabe were tagged for six runs in the final four innings, though Tanabe struck out four over two frames.
At the plate, the Beavers scattered seven hits, including a double from Ian Heck and an RBI double by catcher Brayden Mayencourt in the eighth. Weyburn also struggled defensively, committing five errors on the night.
Thursday marked the first meeting of the season between Weyburn and Sylvan Lake, and Williams said the team puts effort into preparing even before first pitch.
“We do quite a bit, actually,” he said of their scouting. “We have the stat sheets printed in the dugout… We try to watch games on FloSports and see what (opposing pitchers have) got and how they like to attack hitters.”
The two teams will square off again Friday night at Tom Laing Park as the Beavers look to bounce back and split the short homestand. The first pitch is at 7 p.m.