Don’t balk at opportunities.
Okotoks Dawg Joel Brophy didn’t let a dispute over a balk call disrupt his concentration as he was able to loop a lazy pop fly over second base to bring in Doug Clapperton in the bottom of the eighth inning to provide the winning run in a 4-3 victory over the defending WMBL champion Lethbridge Bulls Sunday at Seaman Stadium.
“When he was called on the balk, I knew that in this league pitchers are allowed to go from third to first,” Brophy said. “I was happy because it brought in the run, but I knew it might get called back.”
When the umpires — to their credit — got the call right and sent Clapperton back to third base, Brophy just focused on the job at hand.
“Once it got called back I just got ready for my at bat — I would have been at the plate even if it didn’t get called back,” said Brophy, a catcher from Niagara University. “I hit a bleeder up the middle, you got to love those ones.”
Dawgs pitcher Liam Stroud, Brophy’s battery mate at Niagara, got the start.
He allowed three hits over six innings, his only mistake a two-run bomb by the Bulls’ Matthew Benn in the top of the second to give the Bulls a 2-1 lead.
Dawgs reliever Tyler Burdett got the win. Okotoks closer Christian Parsons picked up his second save in two nights by limiting the Bulls to a single in the ninth.
The victory improved the Dawgs to 2-3 in the Western Major Baseball League and came on the heels of a gem thrown by pitcher CJ Lewington.
Lewington allowed only one hit in eight innings in Okotoks’ 2-1 victory over the Medicine Hat Mavericks Saturday night at Seaman Stadium.
It was more of a Greg Maddux type performance than No-Hit Nolan Ryan.
“I just wanted to pitch to contact and let my defence work for me — they had my back obviously,” Lewington said.
He struck out three and walked two in his stalwart performance.
Brophy said Lewington had great control of his stuff.
“He was unbelievable — he was popping the glove hitting every spot that I put up there,” Brophy said. “His curveball, off-speed was all working perfectly.
“It was a fun game to catch.”
The lone hit for the Mavs came from Zac Wilson with a single in the seventh.
Lewington gave up one unearned run in the eighth.
The Dawgs’ offence came early. Lewington was spotted a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Clapperton brought in Tyler Mildenberg with a sac fly.
They would up their lead to 2-0 when the speedy Josh McIntyre singled, stole second and then came in on an error in the fourth inning.
The Dawgs lost their home-opener on Friday night when they dropped a 9-5 decision to the Fort Mac Giants in front of 4,125 Okotoks faithful at Seaman Stadium.
Okotoks had a slim 5-4 lead until the Giants exploded for four runs in the eighth inning to make it 8-5. The visitors would add another run in the ninth.
Dawgs Junior Academy product Peter Hutzal thrilled the fans by going three for five with a double and a stolen base.
He also flashed the leather at shortstop.
“I was on the bench last year and to play in the home-opener this year was awesome,” Hutzal said. “Okotoks loves baseball.”
The Dawgs had a stunning 12,317 fans go through the turnstiles for the three games on the weekend.
Okotoks opened the season on the road with a pair of losses.
They dropped an 8-5 decision to the Mavs in the Hat, which was highlighted by Hutzal hitting the first home run of the season for Okotoks.
Bo Lewington took the loss.
The Mavs took it to the Dawgs again on Thursday with a 5-3 victory.
Bruce Yari and Drake Kirkwood went two-for-three in the loss.
The Dawgs will get some reinforcements this week when hard-hitting Kellen Marruffo — the team’s True Grit Award winner — joins the squad this week.
The Dawgs played the Swift Current Indians on June 7, dropping a 12-5 decision.
They take on the Fort Mac Giants June 8 in Edmonton, before returning home to play the Edmonton Prospects for a pair Friday and Saturday night. First pitch for both games is 7 p.m.
For more information go to wmbl.ca or dawgsbaseball.ca
