The Express won their third one-run game in a row on Thursday night in Fort McMurray, as they took an 8-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth and held off a furious Giants rally on their way to an 8-7 win in Western Canadian Baseball League action.
Moose Jaw improved to 14-12 with the win and now sit five games back of the tied Regina Red Sox and Weyburn Beavers for first place in the Eastern Division, four games up on the Melville Millionaires for the final playoff spot.
Michael Borst got the start on the mound and held Fort McMurray to a run on four hits through seven innings. That all changed in the eighth, though, as the Giants hit five straight singles as part of six hits in the inning, scoring five runs off Borst and reliever Reece Helland on their way to closing within a pair of runs.
They picked up one of those off reliever Chris Warken in the ninth, but Michael Ross closed things down to pick up the final two outs and earn the save.
Borst also did plenty of damage at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three runs batted in, a run scored and a pair of walks. Darrell Doll continued to swing a hot bat with a 3-for-4 outing that saw him cross the plate three times.
The Express and Giants are back in action tonight and Saturday before Moose Jaw makes the 10 ½ hour drive home. They’re back in the friendly confines of Ross Wells Park for a three-game set against the Brooks Bombers beginning Tuesday. All game times during the week are 7 p.m.
