The Weyburn Beavers broke out of their slump in a big way Monday night.
They were entertaining one of the most potent offences in the WCBL – the Brooks Bombers – and managed to hold them to just four runs, while finding a way to bring seven runs of their own across the plate, picking up the 7-4 victory and improving to 3-8 on the season.
Beavers starting pitcher Jack Kovanen had a shaky start to the game, giving up one run on two hits in the first inning, before settling down for the next four innings. He would strike out three, allowing just two more hits to earn the win, his first of the season.
The Beavers would give some support to the starting pitcher in the third inning.
It started with a single from Tyren Dorrance and a single from Ryan Dauphinee. Then, Brayden Murua came up to the plate, and put the ball deep into right field, bringing home both baserunners, and he was held up at third base for the triple. Then, Murua was brought home on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Muizelaar.
Weyburn added to the lead in the fifth when Trent Lawson hit a deep sacrifice fly to centre, cashing in Muizelaar and making it 4-1.
Brooks responded in the sixth, with a home run by Eric Rataczak and an RBI single from Demetrio Archuleta to make it 4-3. The two runs in a short span would spell the end of the night for relief pitcher Bret Paterson, who only managed to complete 2/3 of an inning before getting replaced by Jamin Smith. Smith would finish off the inning, and pitched the next 1 2/3 innings, coming out in the 8th inning. He finished his stint off with one run on two hits and a strikeout.
The Beavers would start to pull away in the seventh. It started with a Lawson single to left field that brought in Dorrance. Then, with Triston Madison at the plate, things really went sideways for the Bombers.
The at-bat started with a stolen base by Lawson. Then a wild pitch would allow Lawson to advance to third, and Muizelaar to cross the plate. Madison was then hit by a pitch, and with the Bombers being lackadaisical with the ball, Lawson was able to cross home plate, credited as a stolen base. This would make it a 7-3 game for Weyburn.
Brooks would get one run off of Smith before closer Jacob Clark came in for the rest of the game. He went for 1 1/3 innings, striking out one and not allowing a baserunner to earn the save, his second of the season.
The two teams meet again Tuesday night at Tom Laing Park.