Stags 14 Riggers 13
Trailing 9-0 after two innings, the Red Deer Stags were down but obviously not out.
In a stunning turn of events, the Stags exploded for 12 runs in the middle innings Tuesday and pulled out a 14-13 win over the Red Deer Riggers in a Sunburst Baseball League game at Great Chief Park that ran in excess of three hours.
“That was real good. We could very easily have folded up shop and packed it in, and we didn’t,” said Stags playing coach Shaun Connor.
“It was a gut check night for us, for sure. We got some unlucky breaks and played some bad baseball on the weekend (finishing fifth in the five-team Stags tournament) and had a meeting before tonight’s game about picking each other up and just keeping the intensity up no matter what the situation.”
The Stags mounted their comeback in the fourth inning, courtesy of Ryan Carr’s two-run single, then added four runs in the fifth frame and six in the sixth.
Jason Fraser cracked a three-run homer to left field in the fifth and scored the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning on an RBI single by Josh Edwards that snapped a 12-12 tie.
Edwards then stole second base and came home with the eventual winning run on a single by Colin Amendt.
The Riggers closed the gap to one on Mike Ronnie’s RBI single with two on in the bottom of the inning, but Stags pitcher Davin Gulbransen got Denver Wik to ground out to seal the deal.
Gulbransen entered the game after Stags starter Aaron Tweet was hit hard through the first two frames.
“They (Riggers) came out swinging the bats really well and hit the ball hard,” said Connor. “Tweet just didn’t quite have it tonight, it was his first start of the year. But Davin came in and gave up only four runs over seven innings. He came in and changed speeds on them and held them down.”
Jaret Chatwood started and pitched into the sixth inning for the Riggers. Joel Peterman struggled in a relief role and didn’t get out of the inning before handing the ball to Brent Lazzarotto, who was effective until giving up the final two runs.
Fraser also contributed an RBI double to the Stags’ offence, while Jordan Reiter stroked a two-run single, Byron Whitford contributed an RBI double and Connor plated a run with a sixth-inning single.
Edwards had the Stags’ other extra-base hit, a double in the sixth.
For the Riggers, Ronnie was four-for-six with three RBI, Jason Chatwood drove in two runs with two singles and a double, and Kerry Boon had a double.
The Stags will host the Calgary Redbirds Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Great Chief.
The Riggers will take on the Tigers Friday at St. Albert.
• Matt Davis was the winning pitcher — scattering eight hits and surrendering three earned runs while fanning nine batters over seven innings — as the Riggers downed the host Redbirds 13-5 in SBL action Monday.
Boon drove in three runs, Aaron Graves and Jason Chatwood each knocked in a pair and Jaret Chatwood had three hits.
• The Fort Saskatchewan Athletics took top honours in the Stags tournament during the weekend, beating the Calgary Longhorns in the final. The Rigger lost in the semifinals and the Stags failed to make the playoffs.
gmeachem@www.reddeeradvocate.com