Midget Indians hit tough stretch in SPBL
The Swift Current AA Midget Indians have fallen upon hard times as of late, but hopefully snapped out of it with a win Sunday.
The Tribe opened the season with a 9-5 mark in the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball AAA Midget League but then dropped nine straight games before a win Sunday at home. Injuries, player absences, and a treacherous recent schedule have all contributed to the slide.
They dropped their eighth straight game on Saturday to the host Regina Mets when they suffered a 7-6 loss in five innings. They trailed 6-1 after three innings before tying it up with five runs in the fourth. The Mets scored one run in the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead and then blanked Swift Current in the fifth to end the contest.
Brandon Schultz singled, doubled, and scored twice in the loss. Zac Mackay, George Hudec, Kade Behm, and Mitchell Peterson all scored, while Matt Bissonnette, Behm, Jordan Gruetzner, Mitchell Peterson, and Travis Peterson all knocked in runs.
They opened Sunday’s double header with a 14-3 loss to the visiting Saskatoon DBacks when they were held to only one hit.
The Indians scored all three runs in the fifth inning when they combined four walks with two stolen bases, one error, and five wild pitches.
The Indians finally got back into the win column with a 9-5 triumph in the second game Sunday.
They fell behind 4-0 in the top of the first inning but replied with five runs in the third inning and two in the fourth to take an 8-4 lead that they refused to relinquish. Second baseman Kade Behm tagged out a Saskatoon baserunner when he strayed too far off second base during Sunday’s opener. Brayden Karmazinuk earned the win as he allowed six hits and four runs over five innings while striking out four. Mackay worked the final two innings, allowing four hits and one unearned run to preserve the win.
Karmazinuk was even better at the plate, finishing four-for-four with three RBI’s and a run scored to improve his average to .395. Mackay went two-for-three with a walk and scored three runs to finish the week with a .426 average. Schultz also had three hits and scored a run. Travis Peterson finished with a double and a walk, two RBI’s, and scored a run.
The Indians also lost both games in a road double header against the Regina Athletics on July 10. They lost the opener 12-2 in five innings. Mackay finished two-for-two at the plate in the loss. Darby Crozier doubled and came around to score from the leadoff spot.
Hudec singled him in and also scored a run in the loss. Regina’s Jesse LaRocque limited the Indians to five hits and one earned run while striking out six to lower his ERA to 1.50 and improved to 5-0.
The Indians had an improved result in the second game but still lost 11-4. Schultz had a pair of hits and a walk as he scored twice in the loss. Mackay added two hits and scored a run. Andrew Garland and Bissonnette each knocked in runs for the Tribe as they finished winless in four attempts this season against the Athletics.
The Indians finished the weekend with a 10-14 record in eighth spot in the SPBL.
The Indians will be in Saskatoon this weekend for the final four games of the regular season. They will play the Saskatoon Cubs (522) in a doubleheader Saturday, followed by a two-game set against the DBacks (14-11) on Sunday at Cairns Field.