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Sherwood Park Athletics blast Riggers, tie series up at one

Game 3 of best-of-5 series is Thursday in Sherwood Park
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Riggers DH Derek Chapman flies out early in the game against the Sherwood Park Athletics on Tuesday at Great Chief Park. The Riggers dropped game 2 of the best-of-five Sunburst League Final 13-2 on Tuesday. The series shifts to Sherwood Park Wednesday and Thursday. (Photo by BYRON HACKETT/Advocate Staff)

Athletics 13 Riggers 2

The Sherwood Park Athletics blew out the Red Deer Riggers 13-2 Tuesday night at Great Chief Park.

Riggers veteran pitcher Davin Gulbransen started on the mound, and he was bombarded by the visitors in Game 2 of the Sunburst Baseball League best-of-five final.

Gulbransen gave up 11 runs in just two-and-a-third innings, including a grand slam to Kearn Watts and a two-run homer by Cole Schneider. The Athletics had 17 hits through only the first four innings. Watts also had a two-RBI double in the third.

“Everything seemed to fall and everything hit a hole. They hit some balls hard. I’d say the grand slam hurts. They got a couple tough ones, a fastball that ran in and hit a guy, then a guy on base,” shortstop and coach Jason Chatwood said.

“A good hitter with bases loaded that you have to challenge, he got one up in the air. It’s tough playing catch up. They kicked us tonight. They gave us a licking for sure.”

The pitching performance was a stark contrast from Game 1 when the Riggers got a 130-pitch, 13-strikeout complete game from Josh Edwards in an 8-5 win Monday.

Athletics pitcher Matt Hammond allowed only six hits Tuesday and just two runs on the mound.

Jason Louis and Derek Chapman had the RBIs for Red Deer in the loss.

By the fifth inning, every player in the Sherwood Park lineup had a hit. They finished the night with 20 hits.

“13-2, you can’t really beat yourself up over one little instance here or there. A game like this is easy to forget about,” Chatwood added.

“It’s one-to-one, we go up to their place, and we have to battle. It is was it is, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

“They came out and their sticks were going tonight. We put together some good at-bats at the end and didn’t quit.”

With the series tied at one game apiece, games 3 and 4 shift to Sherwood Park Thursday and Friday. Game 5, if necessary, will be played at Great Chief Park Aug. 18 at 7:30 p.m.



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Sherwood Park Athletics right fielder Greg Wallace slides in ahead of a tag by Red Deer Riggers second baseman Denver Wik on Tuesday at Great Chief Park. The Riggers dropped game 2 of the best-of-five Sunburst League Final 13-2 on Tuesday. The series shifts to Sherwood Park Wednesday and Thursday. (Photo by BYRON HACKETT/Advocate Staff)


Byron Hackett

About the Author: Byron Hackett

Byron has been the sports reporter at the advocate since December of 2016. He likes to spend his time in cold hockey arenas accompanied by luke warm, watered down coffee.
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