MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- The Moose Jaw Miller Express haven’t found themselves in many pitching duels this season, but that was the case on Sunday afternoon in Swift Current.
The 57’s would end up coming out on top in the low-scoring contest, taking a 5-2 victory to snap Moose Jaw’s eight-game winning streak.
The Express had better luck the previous night, scoring a run in the top of the ninth to take an 8-7 win.
Other scores from the past week saw Moose Jaw take 6-2 and 11-7 wins over the Edmonton Prospects on Monday, July 1 and Tuesday, July 2, travel to Weyburn for a 10-4 win on Wednesday, July 3 and sweep both ends of a doubleheader with Swift Current 7-6 and 10-4 on Friday at home.
Moose Jaw is now 20-14 on the season to remain in second place in the Western Canadian Baseball League’s East Division, three games back of the Regina Red Sox.
Moose Jaw 8, Swift Current 7
Bobby Pokorney knocked home Robert Estrada with the game-winning run in the top of the ninth, salvaging the win out of a game the Express looked to have in hand early.
Moose Jaw built a 6-0 lead through four innings, but Swift Current scored three in each of the fifth and sixth frames and by the time the teams were through the seventh, it was a 7-7 tie.
Thomas Soto and Nathan Houston were each 2-for-4 at the plate, with Soto scoring a pair of runs. Declan O’Hare knocked in a pair, while Pokorney was 2-for-4 with a run to go along with his game-winning RBI. Estrada also crossed the plate twice.
Cameron Dunn started for Moose Jaw and went 5 鈪�, allowing six runs on six hits and three walks. Jacob Quiles finished off the sixth inning, Bo Jacob Garza allowed a run in the seventh before Drew Sorrentino closed out the inning. Westin Walls then finished things off, tossing two scoreless to secure the win.
Matthew Chandler took the loss for the 57’s, allowing the winning run while throwing the final 2 鈪�
Casey Prychak led Swift Current at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI.
Swift Current 5, Moose Jaw 2
Both Moose Jaw starter Ethan Merk and Swift Current starter Lachlan Hockey turned in quality starts, with Merk allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits over six innings and Hockey giving up two runs on five hits over six innings.
The 57’s did almost all their damage in the second inning, scoring three runs to take a 4-1 lead.
Nate Mensik and Wyatt Tweet scored the only runs for the Express, while Austin Gurney had a 2-for-4 night at the plate.
Marcus Graham went 3-for-4 with an RBI to lead the 57’s offence, Jeremiah Sanchez scored a pair of runs.
Matt Vasquez pitched a scoreless inning of relief for Moose Jaw, with Jacob Castaneda giving up a run on two hits in the eighth.
Jaylen Gutierrez was solid in relief for Swift Current, allowing only two hits over the final three innings to pick up the save.
Moose Jaw is back in action on Wednesday when the take on the Regina Red Sox in Regina, with their next home game Thursday against the Weyburn Beavers. Game time is 7 p.m. at Ross Wells.
