Two more wins for Red Deer’s bantam AAA Servus Credit Union Braves, who were in Lloydminster this past weekend for a doubleheader with the Twins.
The Braves opened the twin-bill Saturday morning with a 16-8 win over the home team with starting pitcher Mitch Vanson giving up six runs on three hits with nine strikeouts over three and two third innings of work.
Riley Guntrip, meantime, paced the offense for Red Deer, going three for five at the dish, with two singles, one home run and five runs batted in.
Tyler Galloway went three for six at the plate, coming just one single short of hitting for the cycle, banging out a double, a triple and home run and two RBI’s, while Levi Moon also went deep, knocking home three runs in the process.
Joel Mazurkewich and Ryan Klinck also chipped in offensively, with Klinck picking up two RBI’s and Mazurkewich adding one run batted in.
In the Saturday’s nightcap, the Braves were once again hitting for the fences, beating the Twins 17-2 in a game that lasted just five innings because of the mercy rule.
Moon got the start on the mound for Red Deer, giving up two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts over four and two third innings of work, while also going two for two in the batter’s box, with one RBI and three runs scored.
Klinck and Mazurkewich each had two singles and crossed home plate four times, while Guntrip knocked in two runs with two singles.
“We played fairly well in both games. We certainly hit the ball well,” said Cam Moon, head coach of the Braves. “I thought we could’ve played a little better defensively in the first game, but when you’re hitting the ball like that, it gives you a little extra breathing space.
“All four of our pitchers that threw this weekend did a great job of throwing strikes. Due to weather, we hadn’t played a game in two weeks, so there may have been a little rust in our defensive play, but our bats were as good as we’ve seen all season. We have a very busy week coming up, so we will need to build off these two games.”
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