It was a pitcher’s duel all game long, but the Edmonton Prospects struck late to defeat the Fort McMurray Giants on Tuesday evening 5-1 at Shell Place.
“It was another close game, but we have to do a better job of getting guys in, especially early in the game,” Said Pat Riley, Giants Manager. “It was 2-1 going into the ninth, we put ourselves where we wanted to be, but we couldn’t close it out.”
Over 1500 fans packed the stands for the Giants home opener which included great defense, great pitching, and in the end timely hitting from the Prospects.
In his only official at-bat of the game, the nine-hitter, Dean Olson drove in the first run of the ball game with a single up the middle that scored Mackenzie Parlow as the Prospects took a 1-0 lead through four and a half innings.
In the seventh, the Prospects added another run on a RBI single from Michael Gahan.
Once again, Prospects pitchers shut down the Giants in the bottom of the seventh to preserve a 2-0 lead.
After a scoreless top of the eighth, the Giants put their rally caps on in the bottom of the eighth, and almost tied it up. The Giants scored one run on a two-out RBI double off the bat of Travis Turner that scored Max Hewitt.
Next up was Richard Ortiz with a chance to tie the game up. Just like it was all game, the defense stole the show once again as Prospects shortstop Aidan Huggins stopped what looked like to be single up the middle, and threw it to first just in time to retire Ortiz to end the inning as the Giants still trailed 2-1 after eight innings.
In the ninth, the Prospects bats got hot in scoring three runs off three hits, all being charged to Kyle Gamez.
In the bottom of the ninth, the hard-throwing, Andrew Mirasty finished off the game, as the Prospects earned their second win of the season, while the Giants joined the Yorkton Cardinals as the two remaining teams without a win so far this season.
Jake Lanferman led the Prospects with three hits, and two RBI, while Travis Turner picked up the lone RBI for the Giants on the night.
The Prospects and Giants are set to hook up again on Wednesday night in the series finale down at Shell Place, with first pitch set for 7:35 p.m.
“That’s the beauty of baseball, you get to play it every day,” Said Riley. “You have to have a short-term memory in this game, and move forward and you have to do it quickly. It was a good crowd tonight, unfortunately, we weren’t able to come away with this one, but we like this team a lot, and there is still lots of baseball to play this season, and tomorrow is a new day, so we have to get ready for that.”
Tickets for Wednesday’s Giants and Prospects finale are available at Giants Tickets or at the Shell Place Box Office.
