Close games in men’s fastball

If you like close fastball games, Memorial Field was the place to be on the night of June 14.

The Moose Jaw Canadians had a home run off the bat of Dean Holoien in the bottom of the seventh to take a 4-3 win over the Bulyea Rustlers before the Giants scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to salvage an 8-8 draw with Regina Silver Screen Sports in Rambler Park Fastball League action.

The Canadians improved to 7-0-2 and continue to hold down first place with the win, while the Giants are now 4-2-1 and tied with Silver Screen for fourth.

Next home action for the two teams in June 21 when the duo face off for the second time this season (7 p.m., Memorial Field).

Canadians 4, Bulyea 3

Bulyea got off to a fast start against the Canadians, with Josh Jordan and Colin McLeod hitting home runs in the first and second innings respectively to give the Rustlers an early 2-0 lead.

There the score stayed until the bottom of the fourth, when Jaxon Lewis knocked home a run with a double before Riley Almasi knocked in a pair with a double of his own two batters later. The 3-2 edge wouldn’t last an inning though, as Xavier Schultz reached on an error for Bulyea in the top of the fifth and scored on a sacrifice fly by George Flore.

That set the stage for Holoien, who led off the seventh with a solo home run.

Holoien was the winning pitcher with 15 strikeouts while Mike Jordan took the loss.

Darryl Callaghan had one of the best games of his lengthy career with the Giants, hitting solo home runs in the second and seventh innings to go along with a two-run shot in the third.

Todd Whitehead – hitting one spot lower in the line-up – was nearly his equal with a pair of solo home runs. The Giants took a 4-1 lead into the top of the sixth when things nearly fell apart as Silver Screen scored six runs on five hits before Evan Graff’s solo home run in the top of the seventh put Regina ahead 8-5.

Derek Ross gave up one hit in five innings work for the Giants before giving way to Dale Garthus in the sixth. Former Mortlach Jets standout Al Muhle went the distance for Silver Screen, giving up seven hits and striking out seven.