In the second game of a doubleheader, in the bottom of the eighth inning in a seven-inning game, Trent Lawson stepped up to the plate for what would be his final at-bat of collegiate ball, summer ball or otherwise. Ryan McCarthy was on second base, representing the go-ahead run in the 3-3 ball game.
Lawson, who led the team in doubles all season, and flirted with the Weyburn Beavers single-season record for doubles, was looking for just the right pitch. Even a single could be enough to bring home the winning run.
Swift Current pitcher Braxton Haggith delivered the first pitch of the at-bat, and it was what Lawson had been looking for. He sent a towering shot that looked like it was going to clear the fence in center field. It would come down right at the fence, in play, and McCarthy sprinted from second. Waved on by head coach Cam Williams, he rounded third base and ran home. He crossed the plate, and the Beavers finished the 2023 season with a walk-off win.
“It was great,” Lawson said after the game, drying off after getting doused by the water jug by teammate Matt Rachman in the post-game celebrations. “The team, Cam, everybody, let me be in this situation. It was great.”
“I couldn’t be happier for some of the guys that, for some, their last day of college baseball,” Williams said during the celebrations after the game. “Trent Lawson there, you know walk-off double in his last collegiate game, which, you can’t write that stuff.”
The Beavers would win both of the games in the doubleheader Saturday against the 57s. The first game of the day Weyburn won handily, although they had to rally to come back in the second game of the night after finding themselves down 3-0.
The teams made sure to enjoy the last games of the regular season as well. With Swift Current already ensured a playoff spot, it was looking like it would be 14 innings of playing the game for the love of the sport. Each of the Beavers came up to the plate with their regular walk-up songs replaced by songs of their billet families' choosing, and the atmosphere was relaxed.
Weyburn would come out to the early lead in the first game after Ryan McCarthy hit a sacrifice fly to center field that cashed in Matt Rachman. Weyburn added to the score in the second inning, with a fielder’s choice off the bat of Brett Potter bringing in Brayden Mayencourt. With two outs, the Beavers would add to the lead as Lawson hit a single that cashed in Deri Seiert-Couture. Then Ryan Muizelaar had a single that scored Rachman. Triston Madison would finish off the inning with a single that brought home Lawson and Muizelaar, and the Beavers were now up 6-0 in the second inning.
The 57s would answer with three runs in the third inning, but Weyburn would open the lead back up to six runs in the bottom of the fourth. A double from Muizelaar scored Steiert-Couture, and Madison hit a sacrifice fly to score Lawson. Muizelaar would then come home on a single by McCarthy.
The Beavers then had a little fun with some of the positions, with Muizelaar going to the mound for the sixth inning. The infielder would run into a little trouble, as Swift Current scored a pair of runs, but he was out long enough to buy some time for Jacob Clark to get warmed up in the bullpen, and the closer from Muncie, Indiana came out to finish the game off.
Clark would get some run support from Tyren Dorrance, who hit a single that cashed in Madison and would then finish off the game with a five-out save.
Jamin Smith, who started the game for the Beavers, would pitch for 2 1/3 innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on three hits and striking out two. Owen McConnell, who was credited with the win, went for 2 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two. Clark would strike out two in his 1 2/3 innings of work to finish the game.
“We were a better team than we showed most of the time,” Clark said of the season. “A great group of guys. I mean, obviously, we all rallied behind each other in this win.”
In the second game of the day, Weyburn opted to start the game with ace Luke Zimmer on the mound. In just three innings of work, he would hold the 57s at bay, not allowing a hit while striking out six in a dominant performance. With it being the last game of the season, he also opted to not have a designated hitter for him, taking his spot in the batting order, behind clean-up hitter Madison. In his lone plate appearance, he would make contact, but the ball stayed in the infield, and he would be put out at first base.
“The thing I took away from today was how awesome the fans were today,” Zimmer said after the game. “They know it was the last game of the season and they really came out and showed their awesome support. I’m so glad that we had such a great atmosphere tonight.”
In the fourth inning, Swift Current would catch a break when they got some baserunners against relief pitcher Mason Fichter. This would result in two runs for the visitors, giving them a 2-0 lead. They added one more in the fifth inning to make it 3-0.
Weyburn, however, wasn’t ready to give up.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, a wild pitch would let Alex Andres score, making it 3-1. Then, the Beavers would rally in the bottom of the seventh with Eric Wirun sending a run home on a fielders choice, and a sacrifice fly from Potter tied the game up, forcing extra innings.
In collegiate ball, teams start with a runner on second base, and for the 57s, it would be Haggith as the base runner. Steiert-Couture was on the mound to finish the game and would try to pick off Haggith before throwing the first pitch. Haggith broke for third, and the ball would go from second base to third base in time to record the out, taking away the advantage of the base runner. Two strikeouts later, the scene was set for Lawson’s game-winning double.
The Beavers finished up the 2023 campaign with a record of 14-42. Despite the record, the head coach, who was in his first year as the bench boss, was optimistic about what the future will bring.
“There’s a lot of positives this year, for sure, and I think that the overall feedback we received has been really good,” Williams said, noting the role the players took in the community by visiting schools, helping out with minor ball and more.
“I’m really excited for the future and what these guys can do on and off the field.”
For Williams, he now gets a short break before he returns to Calgary to start his other job, as head coach of the University of Calgary baseball program.
For Ryan Dauphinee, this was his second summer in Weyburn.
“That was kind of a perfect end to a really fun season,” Dauphinee told Discover Weyburn. “First walk-off and just a lot of fun with all the boys.” The infielder is now off to Arkansas for his collegiate season, which starts in just a few weeks. He is already looking forward to next summer, though.
“If all things go how they should, then I’ll see you next season.”
That refrain was heard from many of the players who will be eligible to return next year. While the record wasn’t what they wanted it to be, they all saw the potential of the lineup, and are looking forward to 2024.
Gallery photos by Kristin Grassing.
