Murray Wood: When will Canada punch back against China's bully tactics?
Dear China... Um, yeah, can you fill out this TPS report? That'd be great. Murray Wood says Canada should get tough in t...
The Regina Red Sox and Sylvan Lake Gulls needed extra innings, but just a few moments proved to be the difference in Game 1 of the Western Canadian Baseball League Finals.
“It was a good ball game and well played by both sides. Something had to give and it was tight,” said Red Sox head coach Rye Pothakos.
In the top of the 11th inning, Michael Quick of the Gulls recorded a single and then advanced to second base on an error. The next batter saw Quick advance to third base on a wild pitch. After the Red Sox then decided to intentionally walk the batter, Tripp Ray.
With Ray attempting to steal second base with only one out in the inning, Red Sox catcher Brady Bye threw the ball to the second basemen, which ended up allowing Quick to steal home plate and earn the deciding run in the 3-2 win at Currie Field.
“I think it was the right move. The guy at third got a little too far off so we didn’t have enough to pick him off. I think that’s the right play there because if the guy at third doesn’t run, we get the out there and we are one away. You can’t play scared; it was the right play. The guy was a little aggressive at third and got the better of us,” said shortstop Matthew Fox, who had five hits in six at-bats in the game, including a home run.
With how close the game was throughout, the Red Sox feel like they should have found a way to win in front of 1,850 at Currie Field.
“It felt like we had it all the way,” Fox said. “Our pitching was elite and we just didn’t hit enough and a defensive mishap at the end too,” Fox said.
The loss now means Regina will need to win two games in Sylvan Lake to claim its first WCBL title since 2012. Game 2 goes on Friday and if Game 3 is needed, that will go on Saturday.
The Red Sox have been good on the road in the playoffs so far, including in the best-of-three series against the Saskatoon Berries in the East Division finals. Regina lost Game 2 at home but won both games in Saskatoon.
“It’s the same thing — we have to go to their place and take two against them in a row. We have to do it,” Fox said. “We’ve played good on the road and it’s easy to have confidence when you win on the road. It’s that simple.”
Regina and Sylvan Lake both got good pitching performances on Thursday night.
Red Sox starter Zander Oudie-Senger went five innings and only surrendered two runs while Gulls starter Joshua Tucker went six innings and only surrendered two runs.
Regina struck first in the game with Bye with a sacrifice fly to centre to allow Rafael Jackson to score in the bottom of the third.
The next inning, the Gulls answered when Brock Tijerina crossed home plate.
In the fifth inning, Fox hit his home run to once again give Regina a lead.
But once again, Sylvan Lake answered the next inning when Ray put the ball into play, allowing a runner to score while the Red Sox threw him out. Ray had two RBIs in the game.
Pitching would dominate the rest of the way, with Vittorio Iacobucci going two innings while Ayden Page went four for Regina. For Sylvan Lake, Garrett Lundmark went four innings while Mickey McClaskey came in during the final inning to put the Red Sox away.
“We had a great crowd tonight and appreciate the support and love we got from the fans,” Pothakos said. “We will get on the bus and have a confident group. We’re going to scratch and claw and we’re not going down easy, I’ll tell you that right now.”
