MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- The Western Canadian Baseball League is well known for seeing first-round upsets in the playoffs, and if things go according to plan for the Moose Jaw MIller Express, there will be another one on Thursday night.
The Express got off to an early lead during Game 1 of the best-of-three East Division semifinal on Wednesday in Regina and rode a stellar pitching performance from Adam Christopher the rest of the way, going on to a 4-3 victory at Currie Field.
As a result, they can finish off the first-round battle tonight when the two teams rematch in Moose Jaw.
Christopher looked sharp from the get-go and was able to hold the Red Sox scoreless through the first four innings, by which time he’d been staked to a 3-0 lead. Christopher -- who had joined the Express in early July after his junior season at Reinhardt University in Georgia -- ended up with a quality start, going 6 â…” innings and allowing three runs on eight hits and striking out five.
Moose Jaw wasted little time getting things going at the plate, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning. Austin Gurney got things started when he doubled home Thomas Soto three batters into the game, and Gurney would come around to score two batters later when Nate Houston hit his first of three singles on the night.
The Express then made it a three-run game with one swing of the bat in the third, and it was pretty much who you’d expect. Nate Mensik hit his first home run of the playoffs with two outs in the inning, taking the fourth pitch he saw from Regina starter Colton Anderson over the fence.
Regina got one back in fifth when Matthew Fox hit a lead off single, stole second and third and scored on a Danny Gonzalez ground out, but Gurney made it 4-1 in the seventh when he scored on a bases-loaded balk.
Things got interesting when Jackson Syring and Justin Carinci came around to score in the bottom of the seventh, leading to Christopher leaving the game with two outs. Takeo Cookson took over from there and was lights out, shutting down the Red Sox over the final 2 â…“ and striking out three along the way to earn the save.
Anderson ended up going seven innings and allowing four runs on 10 hits, striking out 10. Kade Douglas finished things off, allowing a hit over the final two innings.
Other playoff contests on Wednesday saw the Saskatoon Berries set up a potential upset of their own with a 6-4 win over the Medicine Hat Mavericks, while in the West Division the Sylvan Lake Gulls defeated the Brooks Bombers 4-0 and the Okotoks Dawgs downed the Lethbridge Bulls 7-4.
The Express will look to advance to the East Division final on Thursday night, with first pitch 7 p.m. at Ross Wells Park.
