Written by Jay D Haughton Jul 10 2023
Julio Acosta was the hero on Sunday night for the Moose Jaw Miller Express, as he hit a bases-loaded RBI single through the infield in the bottom of the ninth inning for the 3-2 walk-off win against the Regina Red Sox.
The win extended their win streak to eight games and pushed their east division lead to 7.5 games over Regina in the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL).
Nate Mensik, Chaz Poppy, and Wyatt Tweet all picked up two hits apiece in the victory. Haldon Craig grabbed the win on the mound pitching only one inning, allowing no hits, while striking out two. Millers’ starter Cameron Dunn pitched six and two third innings allowing two runs on five hits and struck out three.
Like their last meeting on June 8, Sunday’s game came down to the wire, but this time it was Moose Jaw coming away with the one-run win.
Both starting pitchers put on a good pitching performance, with the game scoreless until the bottom of the third inning.
With Bobby Pokorney on second base, Nate Mensik would hit a ground ball to the second baseman, and due to an error, he would be safe at first and Pokorney would score to put Moose Jaw up 1-0.
That 1-0 lead held up until the top of the seventh inning. After Dunn was able to get two quick outs, Christos Stefanos would hit a two-out single to put a runner on base. The very next batter would be Bitner Workman, and he would crush a two-run home run to deep centre field to give the Red Sox the 2-1 lead.
Moose Jaw would tie the game in the very next inning. Chaz Poppy would lead off the inning with his second double of the game. Then Wyatt Tweet would bring him home with a single to tie the game at 2-2.
That would set up a very exciting bottom of the ninth inning.
Parker Dorrance led off the inning with a double after a fly ball would drop, and then Dawson Tweet earned an intentional walk to put the winning run on second base with no outs.
Nate Mensik would pick up a single to load the bases with still nobody out.
After two consecutive outs, Julio Acosta would come to the plate, and he made no mistake crushing a pitch over the plate that snuck past the shortstop to bring home the winning run, earning the 3-2 walk-off victory.
Moose Jaw now will embark on a four-game Alberta road trip starting on Tuesday night in Okotoks against the Dawgs to kick off a two-game series. Then on Thursday and Friday, the Miller Express will be in Lethbridge to take on the Bulls.
The Miller Express will return to Ross Wells Park on July 19, as they welcome the Swift Current 57s at 7:05 p.m.