Beck's walk-off grand slam sends Berries to WCBL East final

Saskatoon Berries slugger Carter Beck (Carnduff, Sask.), No. 20 in the photo, celebrates after belting a walk-off grand slam for his club in Game 3 of their WCBL East Division semi-final against the Moose Jaw Miller Express on Saturday. Photo: Western Canadian Baseball League

*This article was originally published on the Western Canadian Baseball League website on August 10, 2025. You can read it here.

August 10, 2025

By Ian Wilson

Western Canadian Baseball League

It was an epic series final that had more storylines than an entire postseason crammed into one game.

For one special night at NexGen Patch at Cairns Field, Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) fans were treated to a playoff classic, filled with lead changes, gasps, close calls and hero moments.

The matchup between the Saskatoon Berries and the Moose Jaw Miller Express - a deciding Game 3 that followed a 6-4 win by the Millers and a 15-6 response by the Berries - took place on Saturday, Aug. 9 after the grounds crew worked hard all day to ensure the appropriate stage was in place for a masterpiece.

Ace Matt Whitney, a lefty who went a perfect 7-0 during the regular season, started for Saskatoon and was knocked around early, giving up three runs through two innings. Only one of those runs was earned, as some error-filled play by the defence proved to be Whitney's undoing.

Another southpaw, reliever Zac Laird, settled things down for the Berries by tossing three scoreless innings and surrendering just two hits during his time on the mound. Laird struck out four batters and during his tenure Saskatoon mounted a comeback that saw them score five runs in the fourth and fifth innings, punctuated by a pair of two-run homers by Bailyn Sorensen and Ethan Murdoch. The Berries added to that lead with five more runs in the sixth frame. Moose Jaw's starting pitcher, Jacob Glazener, gave up three runs in the fourth before Ethan Merk allowed another six scores and Saskatoon got to reliever Nathan Pisio for one run.

A scoreless seventh inning was followed by absolute bedlam in the eighth. With the Berries leading 10-3, the Miller Express went to work while Saskatoon began unraveling. Pitcher Michael Sall gave up a single and then struck out a Moose Jaw batter to start the inning. An error, a wild pitch and a walk loaded the bases, then a Ben Waliczek single gave life to the improbable by plating Robert Estrada. Sall was relieved by Klevert Martina, who was unable to register an out and allowed three earned runs before exiting the game. A base-clearing triple by Thomas Soto, followed by an RBI-single from William Edwards, had cut the lead to 10-8. Doubt crept onto the field as belief was injected into the Miller Express dugout. The second pitch that Eduardo Saenz faced from Clay Mixon was parked over the outfield fence and the three-run shot gave Moose Jaw its first lead since the fourth inning. The Millers tacked on one more run to give them a 12-10 lead and a two-run cushion.

While some of the 1,759 fans in attendance went home shaking their heads, most stood by the Berries until the end, and they were rewarded for their loyalty.

Westin Walls, the 2025 WCBL strikeout leader and winner of Game 1, was summoned to hold the lead for Moose Jaw in the ninth inning. With one out, a single from first baseman Ethan Menard scored outfielder Carter Beck, who doubled the previous at bat. Another single by third baseman Mason Roell brought home pinch runner Evan Janner with two outs. That sent the game to extra innings.

The Miller Express failed to score in the top of the 10th. In the bottom half of the frame, Murdoch singled and Cory Wouters walked against Walls. Righty hurler Fernando Medina came in for Walls and induced a failed bunt attempt from Sorensen. Outfielder Jalen Freeman made it aboard on a close play at first base and set up a dream ending for Beck - bases loaded, bottom of the tenth inning. Medina ran the count full and then Beck made magic by blasting a no doubter over the right field wall. The Carnduff, Saskatchewan product catapulted his bat towards the Berries dugout before taking a victory lap around the bases. The thrill and the horror for the opposing teams was brought into focus when Beck rounded third base past a seated and slumping Waliczek. It was pure ecstasy for Beck and emotional damage for Waliczek and his teammates on the Miller Express.

"That might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Bases loaded, game three, tie game, one out and you get to a full count on top of it, so you might not get that chance ever again and then, sure enough, I got the right outcome out of it, so that was really cool," Beck told reporters after the game.

Noah McCombs picked up the win for the Berries after handling two high-pressure innings. The Kansas product struck out two and did not allow a walk, hit or a run during his outing.

REGINA RED SOX ON DECK

The Berries will now face the Regina Red Sox in the East Division Final best-of-three series.

Regina swept the Medicine Hat Mavericks with two straight wins. The Red Sox were led offensively in that series by James Wright (five hits, five RBI, two runs, one homer), Brady Bye (four hits, four RBI, two runs), and Rafael Jackson (three hits, three runs, two RBI, one home run).

Mound leaders for Regina include Landon Riley (6 1/3 innings, 6 Ks, 2.84 ERA, one win), Chris Spry (6 innings, 7 Ks, 4.50 ERA, one win), and Ayden Page (2 2/3 innings, 3 Ks, no earned runs, one save).

The top batters on the Berries in the postseason are Carter Beck (nine hits, nine RBIs, four runs, two homers, three doubles), Jalen Freeman (seven hits, four runs, two RBIs, three stolen bases) and Cory Wouters (five hits, five RBIs, four runs).

Postseason pitching leaders on Saskatoon include Merek Yeager (6 innings, 3 Ks, 3.00 ERA, one win), Zac Laird (5 innings, 8 Ks, 1.80 ERA), and Noah McCombs (4 innings, 3 Ks, no earned runs, one win).

The opening game of the East Division Final takes place at NexGen Patch at Cairns Field in Saskatoon at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 10. Game 2 happens at Currie Field in Regina on Monday, Aug. 11 and, if necessary, a third and deciding game will take place back in Saskatoon on Tuesday, Aug. 12.