Dawgs trounce Bombers in series opener

Mesa Thunderbirds right-hander Nolan Ruff struck out 11 and allowed just one run in seven innings in a dominating performance for the Okotoks Dawgs on Friday.

June 14, 2019

By Dan Khavkin

Okotoks Dawgs

Brooks, AB- The power swings were in full force for the potent Okotoks Dawgs’ offence who littered Elks Field Friday night with an in-game home run derby. The team belted seven home runs to beat the Brooks Bombers 18-1.

Dawgs pitcher Nolan Ruff was also lights out in his second start of the season. The Mesa Thunderbirds product pitched seven dominating innings, striking out 11 batters (10 by the fifth inning) while only giving up one run on three hits against Brooks (3-12).

The story of the game however, was the showcase of Okotoks’ power. Five different Dawgs players went yard and used all the 350-feet available to them and early.

The Dawgs (10-3) hit four home runs in the first four innings.

Third baseman Brett Esau’s two-run dinger in the top of the first inning, adds to the total first inning runs to 20 for the Dawgs this season.

Shortstop Richard Mascarenas homered in the second inning before newly acquired catcher and NCAA-division one Oregon State product Zak Taylor went yard just 12 hours after landing in Canada in the third.

Esau cleared the fence for the second time on the night with his three-run shot that gave him a total of five RBIs on the night in the fourth.

The Dawgs continued the press with a seven-run inning in the top of the sixth.

Will Hollis padded the lead and re-acquired the team lead in long bombs with his fifth of the season in the sixth inning with his three-run shot.

Tristan Peters led the way again for the Dawgs, having a 5-for-6 outing with two RBIs.

Taylor cracked his second dinger and final home run in the seventh inning for the Dawgs.

Okotoks travels back to Saturday for the second of the three-game set with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m., before the Bombers, conclude the series back at Seaman Stadium on Father’s Day on Sunday.