With the Rambler Park men’s fastball league season nearing its midpoint, the Moose Jaw Giants and Moose Jaw Canadians find themselves in a familiar position in the standings.
Once again battling for first place.
The two local teams both picked up points against the Little Black Bear Blues in action Tuesday night at Lyle Helland Ball Diamond, as the Giants landed a 6-3 win and the Canadians tied 4-4.
As a result, the Canadians are now 6-1-1 on the season and sit in first place, a single point up on the Giants at 6-2.
Giants 6, Blues 3
Nursing a 3-1 lead through three innings, the Giants offence came to life with some key runs in the fourth.
Jason Schneider and Braden Konschuk hit back-to-back triples and Darryl Callaghan added a two-out double as the Giants picked up a pair of valuable insurance runs.
Both Schneider and Konschuk had solid games at the plate, with Scheider hitting lead-off and going 3-for-4 and finishing a home run away from the cycle to go along with three runs scored. Konschuk was also 3-for-4, scoring a pair of runs and knocking in three.
Andreas Del Reyes was 4-for-4 with a double for the Blues.
Derrick Ross tossed 4 ⅓ innings, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out five in the win. Al Muhle finished things off, allowing a run on three hits the rest of the way.
Canadians 4, Blues 4
Dustin Thiele hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth to give the defending league champions a 4-3 lead, only to see the Blues get that one right back when Louie McNabb hit a round-tripper of his own in the top of the sixth.
Both Canadians reliever Blake Dixon and Blues starter Darian Bellegarde were able to finish things off from there, but not with some late-game dramatics.
The Canadians’ Dane Roy hit a lead-off triple in the bottom of the seventh, but Bellegarde would get Brad Reaney and Joel Jordison on infield flies before intentionally walking Thiele and having Kent Barber hit into a fielder’s choice.
The Canadians scored all three of their other runs in the first; the Blues did their damage in the fifth.
Xavier Tremblay started for Moose Jaw and allowed three runs on seven hits, Bellegarde went the distance and surrendered four runs on six hits.
For all the latest scores and game information, be sure to check out www.leagues.teamlinkt.com/ramblerpark.
