Riggers, Stags play real ball

Stags 7 Riggers 5

Outside of the odd miscue it was hard to tell the Red Deer Stags and Riggers were playing their first game of the Sunburst Baseball League season at Great Chief Park Tuesday.

The defence was solid and as it normally this early, the hitters were ahead of the pitchers, although overall the pitching wasn’t bad.

“I thought it was a real baseball game, not one of those 15-10 games that can happen this early,” said Stags manager Dan Zinger after the Stags scored twice in the top of the ninth to pull out a 7-5 victory.

“There were a few mistakes, but there were a lot of positives on both sides.

“Defensively I think we have the best team I’ve seen in a while and I liked the way we hit and I was encouraged with our rookies.”

Third baseman Travis Guynup, who played midget last year, had a good opening game with two hits.

“He swung the bat real well and Brandon (Mechefske) came in and drew a walk in the eighth when we scored to tie the game.”

But despite the solid performance Zinger realizes it’s still only the first game of the season.

“We can’t get too high, if this is as good as we expect to play all season then we’ll be in trouble.”

Riggers manager Curtis Bailey was equally as pleased, despite the loss.

“For it being the first game it was fine. We played solid defence, hit the ball well and out pitching was good. The guys haven’t thrown any this season so they’ll be even better down the road, but I liked what I saw.”

Newcomer Brad Hank, who is originally from Kelowna, went the final three innings and took the loss, allowing a run in the eighth and two in the ninth.

“That’s fine. He was tiring a bit and got the ball up, but he impressed me,” said Bailey, who was also impressed by newcomer Adam Eisenbarth of Lacombe.

Eisenbarth had a single, double and triple in four trips to the plate.

His only mistake was trying to stretch a double into a triple and ran into the first out in the fifth inning.

“That’s experience and getting to know the situations. He has good speed and good pop in his bat for being only about five-foot-eight and 160-pounds.”

Davin Gulbransen started for the Stags, allowing two runs on five hits over four innings while Jordan Kliner worked two innings, allowing two runs on five hits.

Andre Touchette went one inning, allowing one run while Rob Boik threw two scoreless innings of one-hit ball to pick up the win.

Brent Lazzarotto started on the mound for the Riggers, allowing three runs on five hits over three innings while James Dykstra gave up one run on six hits in three innings. Hank allowed four hits and fanned five.

• Nate Benke and Shawn Connor had three hits each for the Stags while Zinger, Carr and Guynup had two each . . . Delton Kruk, Bailey and Eisenbarth had three hits each for the Riggers . . . The Riggers lost infielder Jaret Chatwood late last week when he decided to play in the Western Major Baseball League with Moose Jaw . . . Earlier both Jason Chatwood and Mike Ronnie joined Saskatoon in the WMBL . . . They added Darren Sobkow to their roster . . . The Riggers were missing Matt Fay . . . The Stags return to action Thursday when they host the Calgary Redbirds at 7:30 p.m. at Great Chief Park . . . Riggers game May 20 against Strathcona has been postponed for a Golden Baseball League pre-season game between the Calgary Vipers and the Edmonton Cracker Cats, which goes at 6 p.m.. . . Riggers game in Calgary tonight is also postponed . . . Their next home game is May 27 against the Edmonton Angels.

Contact Danny Rode at drode@reddeeradvocate.com