MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- With their playoff position clinched and little to play for in their final two games of the regular season, the Moose Jaw Miller Express decided to have a bit of fun in their final home game of the Western Canadian Baseball League regular season.
Miller Express veteran Austin Gurney played all nine positions on Sunday night as his crew picked up a 10-3 win over the Swift Current 57’s. Less than 24 hours later the Express would cap off their 58-game campaign with a 4-3 loss to the Berries in Saskatoon.
The Express finish their regular season with a 26-29 record and in fourth place in the East Division and will now turn their attention to the Regina Red Sox, with their first-round playoff series beginning Wednesday in Regina.
Moose Jaw 10, Swift Current 3
It was a fitting tribute for Gurney as the Express played their final game of the campaign at Ross Wells Park, with the team’s regular first baseman having finished second on the team with 10 home runs, third in doubles and a .310 batting average.
After rotating through the outfield the first three innings, Gurney played third base in the fourth, first base in the fifth, second base in the sixth, shortstop in the seventh and catcher in the eighth.
Gurney then finished off his feat with a perfect ninth inning on the mound, needing only 16 pitches to strike out the side.
“It was a good team win, it was good to see lots of smiles tonight, everyone was having fun and it was just a lot of fun to have a win like this heading into the playoffs,” Gurney said in the Miller Express post-game comments following the win.
By the time Gurney got on the mound, things were well in hand when it came to the result. The Express scored three in the first and led 6-1 through four before tacking on four more runs in the fifth. Swift Current got one back in the seventh but would get no closer.
It was a solid game for the Moose Jaw pitching staff in general, as Cameron Dunn turned in a quality start, allowing two runs on three hits over six innings to earn the win. Julian Gonzalez allowed a run on two hits in the seventh before regular infielder Bobby Pokorney retired the side in order in the eighth.
Thomas Soto led the way at the plate with a 3-for-4 night that included two runs scored and two runs batted in, while Nate Mensik was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Pokorney, Robert Estrada and Garrett Dennis all had a pair of hits each, while Joe Osborn hit a three-run home run in the fifth.
Luca Hoerger went five innings for the 57’s, giving up 10 runs on 14 hits.
Brody Alexandre and Casey Prychak each hit solo home runs for Swift Current.
Saskatoon 4, Moose Jaw 3
The Miller Express scored single runs in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings but couldn’t make their 3-2 lead stick, giving up a pair of runs in the ninth to take the loss in a meaningless game for both teams.
Moose Jaw had all but one player in their line-up record a base hit, with Nate Mensik going 2-for-4 with a triple, run scored and RBI. Estrada and Ryan Gouldin scored their other runs.
Nathan Yunick allowed a run on three hits and struck out three over two innings before six relievers -- Owen Csada, Nathan Pisio, Ty Thomson, Aaron Knutilla, Garrett Houston and Jacob Castaneda -- saw action the rest of the way.
Dallan Rude held Moose Jaw to two hits over four innings, Boston Bast pitched the final five and allowed three runs on eight hits.
The Western Canadian Baseball League playoffs begin Wednesday, with Moose Jaw at Regina. The Miller Express then host the Red Sox for Game 2 of the best-of-three East Division semifinal on Thursday night at Ross Wells Park. Game time is 7:05 p.m.
