By Randy Palmer August 9th, 2023
Moose Jaw takes 8-6 win in Game 2 of East Division semifinal to take series in two games
The Moose Jaw Miller Express are returning to the Western Canadian Baseball League East Division final.
The Express booked their spot for the second-straight year thanks to an 8-6 victory over the Swift Current 57’s in Game 2 of the East semifinal on Tuesday night, giving the local squad a two-games-to-none victory in the best-of-three series.
Moose Jaw took a 7-2 victory in Game 1 on Monday at Ross Wells Park.
The first four innings were a back-and-forth affair, as Swift Current took a 2-0 lead out of the first and after Moose Jaw put up three in the third, got all of those back in the bottom of the inning to lead 5-2.
True to form, the Express got right back on the bats in the fourth, putting up another three runs of their own to take the lead for good. Moose Jaw added single runs in the sixth and seventh before Swift Current got one back in the ninth, but they’d get no closer.
Balance was the order of the day for the Miller Express offence, as all but one player in their starting line-up had at least a base hit.
Dawson Tweet was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a run batted in, while Wyatt Tweet also crossed the plate twice. Dougie DelaCruz was 2-for-4 with a run and RBI, Julio Acosta 2-for-5 with a run.
Six pitchers took the mound for the Express, with Triston Seitz getting the start and allowing two runs on two hits and walking three while getting two outs in the first inning. Fellow standout reliever Zach Sigmon didn’t have much better luck, giving up three runs over the next inning before Matt Vasquez allowed a single hit while getting the last two outs of the third.
Andrew Barger took over from there and was lights out, giving up two hits over the next four innings and striking out three. Ethan Merk allowed two hits in the eighth and Haldon Craig finished things off, allowing the 57’s final run on a hit and a walk while also getting a strikeout.
Phil Tangen started for Swift Current and allowed six runs on seven hit over 3 ?.
Thanks to the series sweep, the Express will have a rare two days off before hosting the Medicine Hat Mavericks in Game 1 of the East Division final on Friday night. Game time is 7:05 p.m. at Ross Wells Park.
The Mavericks took 11-3 and 9-1 wins over the Regina Red Sox in their semifinal.
Over in the West Division, both series also ended in sweeps, with the Okotoks Dawgs knocking off the Fort McMurray Giants and Sylvan Lake getting past the Lethbridge Bulls.