Medicine Hat Mavericks snap losing streak with win over Swift Current 57s

Several Mavs players had hot bats in the contest, and after the 57s struck for four runs in the top of the first inning, the Mavs scored four of their own in the bottom half of the inning.

Carter Roth led the game off with his 20th double of the season, which set a single-season record for doubles by a Mavs player. He was also named the WCBL Alberta Player of the Week for the week of July 13-19.

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Medicine Hat Mavericks second baseman Carter Roth throws to first after tagging his base for an out in Wednesday’s win over the Swift Current 57s. (Image Credit: Colton McKee Photography/Medicine Hat Mavericks)

The next batter, Evan Morrison, moved Roth over to third base with a single. Roth would then score on a Sacrifice Fly by Nick Hill. Frankie Giacalone followed with a single to put Morrison to third. Both runners would then advance on an error.

Later in the inning, Giacalone would come home on a bases-loaded walk to Jahzeel Groetelaers. Josh Stark would then walk to score Eric Calder and tie the game at four.

A scoreless top of the second for the 57s was followed by a single run in the bottom half by the Mavs to take a 5-4 lead. That came off a Johnny Vulcano single that drove in Morrison.

Medicine Hat opened things up in the bottom of the fourth with five runs to make it 10-4. It started with a home run from Hill, followed by a double from Giacalone, who would later score on a two-run homer from Calder. Blake Dale would then walk, and later come in to score on a single from Roth.

The Mavs added two more off a 2-run home run from Calder in the bottom of the fifth to extend the lead to 12-4.

Starter Cody Myers would come out of the game for the Mavs after five innings, and with Derek Archer on the mound in the sixth, the 57s were able to get their offence going after four scoreless innings.

Struggling with command, Archer walked the first two batters before Anthony Hector hit a three-run home run to cut the 57s’ deficit to 12-7.

Archer would settle in and get the next three batters to end the inning.

A home run from Morrison would increase the Mavs’ lead to 13-7 in the bottom of the sixth.

Swift Current’s Keagan Knowler would then hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh off Miguel De Jesus to cut the Mavs’ lead to 13-8.

A sacrifice fly by Hill would score Groetelares in the bottom of the seventh; it was followed by a Giacalone single that scored Dane Heppner to extend the Mavs’ lead to 15-8.

A scoreless eighth inning was followed by a pair of runs from the 57s in the ninth off a two-run home run from Mace Wheeler.

Thursday is a day off for the Mavs, and the final 12 regular-season games will be tough, with seven of those games against teams with stronger records.

Next up is the league-leading Miller Express in Moose Jaw on Friday, followed by a pair of home games against the Weyburn Beavers on Saturday and Sunday at Athletic Park.

The games against the Beavers look to be crucial in the playoff race, as the Mavs are holding onto the fourth and final playoff spot on a tie-break, with both teams 13.5 games behind the Miller Express in the standings.

The Mavs sit at 18-26, and the Beavers at 17-25, having played two fewer games than Medicine Hat.

A nine-game in nine-night stretch will continue for the Mavs in Saskatoon against the 30-12 Berries next week on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

It’s off to Moose Jaw to face the 30-11 Miller Express next week on Thursday and Friday.

The long stretch of games concludes on Saturday, Aug. 1, at Athletic Park against the 57s, a team the Mavs will play on the road again on Aug. 4 and 5 to finish the regular season.

A contest in Lethbridge against the 23-14 Bulls is also in the mix on Aug. 3.

With only three regular-season home games remaining for the Mavericks, they will have to carve out a path to the playoffs mostly on the road over the final two weeks of the regular season.

Playoffs begin Aug. 7, and all three rounds will be completed by Aug. 17.

by Jesse Gill

Medicine Hat Mavericks snap losing streak with win over Swift Current 57s

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