By Mitch Bach

Record-breaking crowd witnesses Mavericks 6-4 win over Red Sox

Aug 13, 2018 | 10:09 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — When Sal Rodriguez’s window of opportunity opened, he did more than simply walk on through.

Instead, the Mavericks rookie crashed and banged out a three-run shot over centre field, and ultimately leading Medicine Hat to a 6-4 victory over the Regina Red Sox on Monday night.

This gives the West Division Champions to a commanding, Red Sox threatening 2-0 lead in their WMBL Championship Series. They’re now one win away from earning league-championship rings for the first time since 2014.

In what’s quite possibly the final home game of 2018, Mavericks faithful filled the Athletic Park bleachers in record-breaking fashion. 1,872 fans filled the seats, which is believed the be the organization’s largest attendance in history.

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Rodriguez, a native of Crystal Lake, Illinois, connected on his three-run jack with Carson Johnson and Colton Wright on base. Slotted fifth in the order, his big swing squared the game up after Regina got off to an early 3-0 lead.

The entirety of each team’s scoring came in the first three innings before pitchers for both sides tossed six consecutive shutout frames.

Mavs starter Matt Brooks earned his first win of the post-season, lasting six innings and fanning six batters with just two earned runs to his name. The right-hander from UNC Charlotte threw 111 pitches before Junior Pimentel took the ball to start the seventh. Brooks’ victory also snaps a stretch of four starts leading to losses, which began July 27th

Pimentel threw a scoreless seventh inning, and was replaced by Sean Cruz in the eighth, who rattled off three straight strikeouts.

Tyler Shumpert closed out the ninth inning with to earn his third save of the playoffs.

Jaxson Hooge and David Salgueiro added runs for the home team in the second inning to increase the Mavs lead to 6-3.

Louie Canjura, one of nine returning members to the Mavericks fold from last summer, went 3/4 at the dish with a single RBI. Johnson and Wright helped score the remaining Mavericks markers.

Regina, who have now lost to Medicine Hat in all four games this summer, was led offensively by Danny Hunt, Brooks Stotler, and Jahshua Jones. Hunt went 1/4 at the plate with a pair of RBI, while Jones and Stotler batted in the remaining single markers. The last of the Red Sox offence came when Erik Crossman crossed the dish in the third.

Regina starter Dylan Bells lasted 6.1 innings, striking out eight with 10 hits allowed, before Anthony Race approached the mound. Race closed out the seventh with two strikeouts, but handed the ball to Edgar Cuevas to begin the eighth.

The Red Sox head into Game 3 not only looking for their first win against the WMBL’s number one team this summer, but also fighting for their playoff lives.

Game three, and the chance for the Mavericks to win their third league championship in franchise history, begins at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday from Currie Field.