MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- A good start wasn’t enough for the Moose Jaw Miller Express to find the win column against the Medicine Hat Mavericks on Sunday afternoon.
Despite building an early 4-0 lead, the Express would give up three runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings, eventually dropping a 10-5 decision Western Canadian Baseball League action.
As a result, Moose Jaw is now 21-18 on the season and sit 5 ½ games back of the Regina Red Sox for first place in the East Division and three games back of the Mavericks for second place.
Things looked good for Moose Jaw early, as a pair of runs in the first and two more in the third gave the Express a 4-0 lead. After Medicine Hat went ahead 6-4 in the fourth, the Express got one back in the sixth, but the Mavericks’ next three-run inning made it a 9-5 contest. They’d tack on another in the eighth to finish off scoring.
Declan O’Hare got the start for Moose Jaw and was bit by an untimely error in the third inning, eventually leaving the game having given up five runs, only two earned, on four hits in 3 ⅔ innings. Cameron Dunn then allowed four runs on four hits over the next 1 ⅔, and Julian Gonzalez finished things off, allowing a run on three hits over the final 2 ⅔.
Austin Gurney continued to swing a hot bat, going 3-for-5 with a double and run scored, while Darren Hagen was 2-for-4 with a pair of two-baggers and two runs scored. Nathan Houston was 2-for-5 with two RBI; Nate Mensik went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Jacob Petersheim wasn’t outstanding for Medicine Hat, but got the job done just the same, allowing four runs on 10 hits over five innings. Leo Woods, on the other hand, was outstanding, finishing the final four innings and allowing a single run on four hits.
Marshall Burke was 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and three RBI for th Mavericks, Brody Gardner 2-for-4 with three runs and two RBI, Jordan Phillips 3-for-5 with three RBI.
The Miller Express are back in action on Tuesday when the Regina Red Sox are in town. Game time is 7:05 p.m. at Ross Wells Park.
