The Sylvan Lake Gulls are riding a two-game winning streak after an action-packed weekend.
After the Gulls lost their first game of the season to the Okotoks Dawgs early last week they earned a bounce-back win just days later. Sylvan Lake went into Okotoks on Friday and stole a 1-0 win against the defending Western Canadian Baseball League champions.
The next evening they returned home to Gulls Stadium but got blown out 13-3 by the Dawgs on Saturday. However, in an early afternoon game on Sunday in Okotoks, the Gulls bounced back again with a 6-4 victory.
Most recently Sylvan Lake took the field against the Medicine Hat Mavericks for the first time this season at Gulls Stadium on Monday night. The home team beat the Mavericks 9-4 to win their second straight game.
The Gulls took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning after centre fielder Nick Groves and infielder Jonah Weisner scored a pair of unearned runs.
The Mavericks tied it up in the top of the second on an unearned run on Gulls starting pitcher Carson Angeroth.
Sylvan Lake’s bats came to life in the fourth notching four runs to take a commanding 6-2 lead. With the bases loaded catcher Ben Prediger and centre fielder Nick Groves batted in a pair of runs. Meanwhile, first baseman Hagen Barcello and Prediger scored earned runs on some wild pitches.
Angeroth, who pitched four innings and struck out three, was pulled in the fifth inning for Nathan Naccarato. The Mavericks cut into the Gulls’ lead that inning scoring two runs to make it 6-4.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Gulls extended their lead by three. Prediger once again scored on a wild pitch. This was followed by runs by Groves and shortstop Cleary Simpson.
That would be all the Gulls would need to win after pitchers Brock James, Alex Galvin, and Brian Baker closed with three straight scoreless innings.
With the win, the Gulls improve to 6-2 and are in second place in the West Division behind Okotoks.
The Gulls will be back in action at home against the Okotoks Dawgs on Wednesday followed by the Medicine Hat Mavericks on Thursday at Gulls Stadium at 7:05 p.m.
They will then hit the road on Friday and Saturday in Lethbridge against the Bulls.