Dawgs down Prospects for 14th win

Photo: Okotoks Dawgs

June 20, 2019

By Dan Khavkin

Okotoks Dawgs

Okotoks, AB- A four-run seventh inning propelled the first-placed Okotoks Dawgs to an 11-6 win over the Edmonton Prospects on Thursday night.

Mesa Community College ace Nolan Ruff picked up his third win in as many starts, allowing three runs on three hits while fanning 10 batters.

The Dawgs (14-4) jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first two innings. A passed ball followed by an RBI double from UBC product Jaxon Valcke opened the scoring for the Dawgs.

Bellevue University infielder Kory Longaker racked up a team-high three RBIs on the night, tallying two in the second inning on an RBI single.

Ruff struck out his first six batters to start the game before surrendering a three-run home run in the third. But he settled down to keep the Prospects scoreless for the next four innings.

“It was a mistake on one pitch that I knew I shouldn’t have made. I didn’t want to hang my head down on one hit and continued to play the way I did leading into my only mistake of the game,” Ruff said after the game.

With a 4-3 lead, the Dawgs then scored six consecutive runs thanks to RBIs from Longaker, Tristan Peters (4-for-5 on the night with three stolen bases) and a two-run RBI double from Bellevue catcher Jordan Mambaje. Thompson Rivers’ Liam Rihela also launched a two-run home run, his second homer in as many games.

“We call the seventh, eighth and ninth innings the ‘money innings’ because those are the innings that help us solidify our wins and the guys knew that,” said Dawgs head coach Mitch Schmidt.

Edmonton tallied three runs during the top of the eighth inning but the Dawgs scored their 11th and final run on a passed ball in the bottom of the frame, which was enough to secure them their 14th win of the season.

The Dawgs now head south for the first of a three-game set against the second-place Lethbridge Bulls.