The Southeast Legacy Twins got a little taste of Estevan baseball history on the weekend, playing all four of their home games at Met Stadium in Woodlawn Regional Park.
Wet conditions following Friday's storm meant it was unlikely the games could be played at Lynn Prime Park.
The Twins (13-16) split the four games. On Saturday, they lost 8-2 to the Saskatoon Diamondbacks, then beat them 4-2; on Sunday, they defeated the Saskatoon Giants 5-3, then lost the second game 11-1.
Twins head coach Dave Odgers said it was a nice change to play at Met Stadium, the home of the old Ace Mud Mets teams.
He credited fellow Twins coach Joe Lingelbach for working to get the field playable again.
"He's put a lot of time in down here most weeks in the morning to get this thing ready. It's a beautiful diamond. It's a bit of a treat for the boys to come down here. I think this is the first Twins game ever played at the Met," said Odgers. "It's a beautiful stadium, there's a lot of history down here for Estevan ball and it's nice for these kids to play here."
In Saturday's opener, the Twins held their own with the third-place Diamondbacks (17-15) through four innings, but Saskatoon blew the game open with six runs over the last three, including three runs in the fifth.
"The first game, we came out a little flat. I don't think the boys were quite ready to play," said Odgers.
The Diamondbacks scored in the first inning when Eric Clauson reached on an error and later crossed the plate; they added another unearned run in the fourth when Jared Libke scored on an error.
In the fifth, Wyatt Schlosser singled Clauson home, Daniel Jahnke scored on a groundout and Schlosser came home on an error.
The Twins came back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. A sac fly by Tanner Odgers brought Brandon Hutt in to score, and James Giroux crossed the plate on a passed ball.
But Saskatoon would extend their lead to 7-2 with two more runs in the sixth, with Brayden Pfeil coming home on an error and Keeran Ingram scoring on a groundout. In the seventh, Libke scored on a single by Brody Boyenko.
The Twins rebounded with a win in the second game, and Odgers said a strong defensive effort played a role.
"It was a very quick played game. Both teams made some real nice defensive plays. In the first game we had a couple of errors, but in (the second game) we tightened it up and were able to get the win," he said.
The Twins needed a three-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull out the victory.
Saskatoon's two runs came in the third inning, as Ingram scored on a passed ball and Nick Stobbe brought Schlosser home with a single.
The Twins got on the board in the bottom of the frame, with Hutt - the team's starter - coming home on an error.
After keeping the Diamondbacks within striking distance, the Twins broke out in the sixth.
Jolan Lingelbach drove in Carver Krafchuk with a single to tie the game, and scored two at-bats later on a single by Lucas Lafrentz. Giroux later singled in Garrett Fitzpatrick.
"I think the boys realized that they gotta get to the plate with a purpose and put the ball in play, and I think they concentrated a little more and they were able to get bats on the balls and we scored some runs. It was a nice comeback win," Odgers said of the late rally.
Hutt, John Gaab and Colton Gingras combined to allow only four hits, with three strikeouts (all Gaab's) and three walks.
"Brandon came in and threw hard. His stuff was working pretty good. He kept them off, gave them a couple of runs I guess. Johnny Gaab came in and threw really strong. We'd have kept him in there, but we (needed him to pitch on Sunday)," Odgers said.
In the first game on Sunday, a three-run homer by Hutt in the fifth inning helped the Twins hold off the Giants. That proved crucial, as the Giants scored two in the top of the seventh to make it a two-run game.
The teams had traded single runs in the first and second inning, and the Twins took a 2-1 lead in the fourth.
Lingelbach also hit a home run, part of a 2-for-3 showing, with two RBI and a run, while Austin Orsted was 2-for-3 with a run.
For the Giants, Michael Tremblay hit 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run.
Giroux got the start for the Twins and went six and two-thirds, scattering six hits while allowing three runs (one earned) on six strikeouts and five walks. Fitzpatrick came in to get the final out.
The Twins took a licking in their last game of the weekend, as the Giants scored in five of the six innings - two in the second, one in the third, five in the fourth, one in the fifth and two in the sixth.
The Twins' lone run came in the sixth, when Orsted drove in Odgers. It was part of a 2-for-3 showing for Orsted.
Devlin Gavigan-Hosaluk hit 2-for-3 with two runs for the Giants, while Brett Resch and Brett Doepker each had two RBI.
In four innings, Gaab allowed eight runs (four earned) on four hits and a walk. Lingelbach came on in relief in a rare pitching appearance, allowing three runs on four hits, three walks and a strikeout in two innings.
For the Giants, Wes Hiebert started and threw four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out four. Tanner Matschke threw a clean fifth inning in relief, striking out two, and Kolten Olynek pitched the sixth, allowing one run, one hit and walking two.
