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Mohawks win one, lose one

Posted on June 13, 2017 by Maple Creek
Mohawks catcher Blake Fournier tags the Gull Lake runner at home plate in the eighth inning of June 7's game in Maple Creek. SPORTS PHOTO SEAN MCINTOSH

Sean McIntosh
Twitter: @SeanMCNews
smcintosh@maplecreeknews.com

The Maple Creek Mohawks went 1-1 in back-to-back home games recently.

Maple Creek first hosted the Gull Lake Greyhounds on June 7 in a nail-biting 8-7 win in extra innings.

Early on it was all Mohawks, with the team racking up six runs in the first two innings to Gull Lake’s one.

The Greyhounds just wouldn’t go away however, as they were able to score six runs, two in the third, fourth and sixth innings each, while Maple Creek put up just one.

In the seventh inning, normally the final inning of Sask-Alta Baseball League games, neither team could score so they went to extras.

Gull Lake got the first chance at bat, but was unable to score. They did come close, with the third and final out of the inning coming off a play at home plate.

Then when Maple Creek players got the chance, they made their at-bats count. With the bases loaded, Blake Fournier was able to bloop a single into centre field, bringing home the third base runner and winning the game for the team.

“All I was trying to do was get some contact and get the ball in the air knowing a sac fly would win us the game,” Fournier said.

When Fournier first made contact with the pitch, he says he thought one of the outfielders was going to be able to make a play on it.

“I thought it was going to be a play at the plate, but it luckily fell in,” he said.

Fournier recorded three hits in his five times at the plate.

Meanwhile his brother Chad Fournier started the game on the pitching mound. After two hits against and four walks he was replaced by Dalton Kaake who pitched the remaining five innings, putting up eight strikeouts.

After winning 8-7 against Gull Lake, the Mohawks went right back to work, hosting the Shaunavon Badgers the following night.

Despite it being a tightly contested match-up, Maple Creek was unable to walk away with back-to-back victories, falling to the Badgers 5-3.

Shaunavon’s left-handed pitcher, Cody Tetrault, was giving Maple Creek batters struggles all game, according to Mohawks coach Al Fournier.

“We couldn’t solve him all night… We were kind of off balance, you don’t see a lot of lefties,” Al Fournier said.

Maple Creek recorded seven hits off Tetrault, who played all seven innings. The hits were close, as Maple Creek’s Blake Fournier and Cam Rittinger only gave up a combined 11 hits of their own, however a rough third inning was the difference in the game.

The team made a few errors in the inning, allowing Shaunavon to score three runs.

“We gave them three runs and I think we gave them five outs – we didn’t make plays and it kind of bunched up. We probably should have got out of there with one run against and they got three,” Al Fournier said.

Shaunavon had its shares of errors as well, but they didn’t have an inning bunched up with errors, he added.

Despite losing one of two games, Maple Creek still sits atop the Sask-Alta Baseball League West Division with a 5-2 record.

“We had five [wins] all of last year and we have six games left. We have some tough games, with a couple at home so we have to cash in on home field,” Al Fournier said.

The team added Jack Cameron to the coaching staff during the past two games as well, which is definitely a nice boost to the squad, Al Fournier added.

“Jack brings a lot of experience and I’m really excited to have his help and I know the guys are excited to have him too. They’ve had his coaching for years.”

“He calms the guys down, and maybe calms myself down a bit too,” he said.

Maple Creek had another home game scheduled for June 12 against Burstall, but it was cancelled.

The Mohawks are next in action on June 15 when they visit the Medicine Hat Cypress County Black Sox.

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