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By Scott Roblin

Still Kicking

Mavericks stay alive with 7-1 stomping of Bulls, force sudden-death Game 3

Aug 9, 2019 | 10:21 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The Medicine Hat Mavericks will live to fight at least one more day, surviving an elimination Game 2 on Friday against the Lethbridge Bulls.

In what could have been the final game of his career, Austin Sojka unloaded a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning in what was a turning point in a 7-1 victory.

After being edged by the Bulls in Lethbridge on Thursday night, the Mavericks faced elimination for the first time this season at Athletic Park.

Sal Rodriguez’s RBI single in the first inning got Medicine Hat off to a good start however, driving home Collin Klingensmith for the early lead.

Medicine Hat’s 1-0 lead held until the top of the fifth inning, but a double from Game 1 hero Kaleb Warden was able to score Riley Jepson to tie the game at one run a piece.

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After pitching six innings of one-run ball, Owen Steele’s night on the mound came to an end after allowing seven hits while striking out a pair of Lethbridge batters.

Everything changed for the Mavericks in the seventh inning, scoring four of their runs on the night in the span of five minutes.

Outfielder Tito Jones kicked things off with a single and was later brought home by a big swing from Klingensmith to put Medicine Hat back into the lead.

P.J. Garcia extended the Mavericks lead to 4-2 after fighting off a series of foul balls to score Klingensmith, setting up Sojka at the plate.

All it took was one pitch for Sojka to connect on Bulls reliever Kai Poffenroth, blasting his first home run of the post-season over the Athletic Park wall to make it a 5-1 game.

Medicine Hat erased any doubt of elimination the following inning with RBIs from Cameron Pope and Freddy Walker in the bottom of the batting order, forcing a Game 3 in the series.

Reliever Taylor Wright was exceptional over his three innings of work, silencing the Bulls bats with just four hits allowed with his two strikeouts matching Steele’s.

Medicine Hat’s offence was also spread out through the entire lineup, with eight of the nine batters reaching base on hits and five separate hitters driving in runs.

Avoiding elimination, the Mavericks have tied their series with the Bulls at 1-1 and will need a winner-take-all Game 3 on Saturday night.

Opening pitch for the Game 3 tilt at Spitz Stadium is planned for 7:05 pm.