Riggers win thriller, even league final series 1-1

Sherwood Park opened the scoring in the first inning when they cashed in the runner left on third base Monday night when game two was postponed due to rain.

Joel Mazurkewich tied it for the Riggers with a solo home run in the bottom half of the inning.

Red Deer squandered a glorious chance to take control of the game when they had runners on second and third with no outs, but came away empty.

Jaret Chatwood kept it 1-1 in the fifth when he made a diving catch at third base to keep the A’s from cashing in a run.

In the sixth, Red Deer took a 2-1 lead when Chatwood singled in Curtis Mazurkewich. Denver Wik’s RBI double two batters later made it 3-1.

Sherwood Park pushed one across in the seventh to make it 3-2. Edwards recorded two strikeouts in the seventh before his night came to an end.

“Get one more out, get one more strike. Just keep working through hopefully they just let me keep throwing,” he said about his grind to the finish. “I’m one of those guys I don’t like coming out of the game. It’s fun for me to push [myself] to that point and see how far [I] can go.”

The Athletics then threatened to take the lead when they loaded the bases, but reliever Joel Peterman struck out Brock Withrow to hold the fort.

In the ninth, JP Wilner, making a rare appearance on the mound for the Riggers, found himself in a bases loaded jam when he received some big time help. Right fielder Derek Chapman caught a fly ball for the inning’s second out, and then gunned out Sherwood Park’ Mike Kuzyk at home plate for a spectacular game ending double play.

“That was unbelievable,” Edwards remarked about the spectacular play. “I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him do that. That was awesome. I don’t know if they were thinking ‘maybe we can get one here’ or what, but it was perfect. It couldn’t have been any better.”

Edwards says his team’s defensive play all game long was a key factor in their win.

“That game doesn’t happen without those guys making plays. Like Jaret diving and making a play at third base that saves a run. There were a couple other big plays that they made behind me. That’s one thing we’ve really been good at. With me on the mound, I work quick and they like playing behind me and we get tons of outs and it’s great to see.”

On having to start the same game two nights in a row, Edwards felt he handled the challenge as well as he could.

“It was a little different. It’s not the first time I’ve had to do it, so I had a little bit of experience. It’s a little bit different when you get to senior baseball and you’re not exactly working out every day. I worked both days, put in a full shift then had to start again. I didn’t feel too bad, though. I was a little lackadaisical coming to the ball park, but not too bad, so it was good.”

It will now be a battle of wills, Edwards predicts, that determines whether the Riggers or Athletics win the series.

“It’s up to who’s got arms left and who’s willing to go on one or two days’ rest. Now it’s kind of a grind, it’s kind of fun in our league. We don’t play that many games coming up until now, so it’s kind of cool to play five, six games in a couple weeks and really challenge ourselves. Especially going to nationals this year, it’s huge.”

Game four of the series goes Thursday. If necessary, game five will be played Friday night at Great Chief Park at 7:30 p.m.

by Troy Gillard (Twitter: @Troy_Gillard)

Riggers win thriller, even league final series 1-1

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