It may well be the wildest game the Red Deer Riggers have ever been involved in.
Trailing 12-4 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Riggers scored five times in the eighth and four times in the ninth to pull out a 13-12 victory over the Parkland White Sox and even their best-of-three Sunburst Baseball League and provincial senior AAA semifinal series 1-1, at Great Chief Park, Wednesday.
The teams meet Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Sherwood Park.
The teams were deadlocked at 4-4 after five innings, but the White Sox scored three times in the top of the sixth on a three-run home run by Kyle Radke off Red Deer starter Brant Stickel. They added five more runs in the seventh off reliever Joel Peterman, who settled down and eventually picked up the win.
“Just when it seems like we’re falling apart and the guys may be getting down on each other, someone steps up and makes a big play,” said Riggers veteran Matt Fay.
The biggest play, other than at the plate, may have come in the top of the ninth. With one runner on Adam Baron sliced a ball toward right field. However, second baseman Denver Wik made a spectacular diving stop and got Baron at first. That helped get Peterman out of the inning.
At the plate the Riggers scored five times off White Sox starter Josh Turner and reliever Jordan Denault in the eighth, with the biggest blow a three-run home run by Jason Chatwood to cap the scoring.
“That gave everyone a huge lift,” said Fay.
Denault started the ninth, but gave way to Brad Michaleski after walking Curtis Mazurkewich. Shayne Court lined a single off Michaleski and after Curtis Bailey struck out Chad Northcott singled in Mazurkewich. Denver Wik lined a run-scoring single and Matt Fay walked to load the bases. Northcott scored on a wild pitch to tie the game and Jaret Chatwood once again walked. Jason Chatwood bounced out, forcing Wik at the plate. However, with Kerry Boon at the plate and with a one ball, two strike count Michaleski threw a pitch in the dirt that catcher Scott Hoekstra couldn’t find in his feet. Michaleski also came on to try to pick up the ball and when he did so Fay scored.
“That was crazy,” said Fay.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. But we kept fighting, which is something we’ve done all season. There wasn’t anyone who believed we couldn’t come back.”
As for the winning run, he said as soon as he saw Hoekstra turn and look at him he knew “he didn’t know where the ball was and I felt I could make it.”
Stickel wasn’t sharp from the outset and a rain delay, coupled with him twisting his ankle, didn’t help matters.
“It was a tough today, but he gave us everything he had,” said Fay. “Petey struggled that first inning, but he’s so mentally tough he came back and gave us two good innings and a chance to come back.”
Court led the Riggers with three hits while Jason Chatwood, Boon and Wik, who also had two walks, added two hits each. Radke had five RBIs on a home run and double to go with a single for Parkland. Baron had three hits and was hit twice.
The winner of the series faces the winner of the Fort Saskatchewan-St. Albert series.