Just one night into the W-C-B-L playoffs, the Saskatoon Berries’ remarkable 2025 season is in danger of coming to an end on Thursday in Moose Jaw.
The 27-29 Miller-Express weren’t intimidated by the league record 46 wins posted by the Berries in the regular season, jumping out to a 5-1 lead after two-and-a-half innings and nursing it to a 6-4 victory in Game 1 of a best-of-three East Division semi-final series. The left on base number in the game linescore and their inability to come up with key hits was Saskatoon’s undoing before 1,858 fans at Cairns Field. The Berries left 13 runners on base, including the bases loaded in both of the second and eighth innings, and were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Starting pitcher Westin Walls gave Moose Jaw six-and-a-third gutty innings, throwing 117 pitches, while Ethan Merk closed out the game with four strikeouts in the final inning-and-two-thirds. Offensively, the Miller-Express were led by leadoff hitter Thomas Soto, who had two hits, two runs scored and two R-B-I in the first two innings while the third hitter in the order, Austin Gurney, drove in Soto both times. Game 2 is Thursday night in Moose Jaw. A Saskatoon win would force a third and deciding game Friday night at Cairns Field. Following are post-game media scrums with head coach Joe Carnahan, as well as Saskatoon product and designated hitter Cory Wouters plus the official box score courtesy the W-C-B-L…..
Game Date: 08/06/2025
Moose Jaw Miller Express 6 AT Saskatoon Berries 4
YTD YTD
Moose Jaw AB R H BI AVG Saskatoon AB R H BI AVG
Soto, T SS 5 2 3 2 .600 Beck, C CF 5 0 1 0 .200
Edwards, W LF 3 0 1 1 .333 Menard, E 1B 4 1 1 0 .250
Gurney, A 1B 5 0 3 2 .600 Janner, E PR 0 0 0 0 .000
Saenz, E 3B 3 0 0 0 .000 Zdunich, T 1B 0 0 0 0 .000
Ahlberg, A 3B 2 0 0 0 .000 Medina, A 2B 5 2 3 0 .600
DeGrazia, T RF 5 0 0 0 .000 Roell, M 3B 4 1 1 1 .250
Rivas, A C 4 0 1 0 .250 Houston, N SS 4 0 0 0 .000
Estrada, R DH 4 2 3 0 .750 Murdoch, E RF 3 0 0 0 .000
Phillips, P CF 3 2 3 1 1.000 Wouters, C DH 5 0 1 1 .200
Waliczek, B 2B 2 0 0 0 .000 Sorensen, B C 4 0 1 0 .250
Freeman, J LF 4 0 1 0 .250
36 6 14 6 38 4 9 2
Moose Jaw 1 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 6 14 7
Saskatoon 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 4 9 2
2B--Estrada, R DH (1). RBI--Soto, T SS 2 (2), Edwards, W LF (1), Gurney, A
1B 2 (2), Phillips, P CF (1), TOTALS 6 (0), Roell, M 3B (1), Wouters, C
DH (1), TOTALS 2 (0). HP--Waliczek, B 2B (1), Menard, E 1B (1), Sorensen,
B C (1). SF--Edwards, W LF (1), Roell, M 3B (1). SH--Phillips, P CF (0),
Waliczek, B 2B (0), Houston, N SS (0). SB--Gurney, A 1B 2 (2), Phillips, P
CF 2 (2), Waliczek, B 2B (1), Freeman, J LF (1). E--Soto, T SS (1), Saenz,
E 3B 2 (2), Rivas, A C (1), Phillips, P CF (1), Waliczek, B 2B (1), Walls,
W P (1), Houston, N SS (1), Sorensen, B C (1).
LOB--Moose Jaw 8, Saskatoon 13.
YTD
IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Moose Jaw
Walls, W (W,1-0) 6.1 7 4 1 1 4 0 1.42
Pisio, N 1.0 2 0 0 1 1 0 0.00
Merk, E (S,1) 1.2 0 0 0 0 4 0 0.00
9 9 4 1 2 9 0
Saskatoon
Junek, C (L,0-1) 1.1 6 4 4 1 1 0 27.01
Spencer, J 3.2 4 1 1 0 4 0 2.45
Laird, Z 2.0 1 1 1 0 4 0 4.50
McCombs, N 2.0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0.00
9 14 6 6 1 10 0
WP--Walls, W 2 (2), Junek, C 2 (2). HB--Walls, W 2 (2), Laird, Z (1).
SO--Soto, T 2, Gurney, A, Saenz, E 2, Ahlberg, A 2, DeGrazia, T 2, Rivas,
A, Beck, C, Roell, M, Houston, N 2, Murdoch, E, Wouters, C, Sorensen, B 3.
BB--Edwards, W, Murdoch, E 2. BF--Walls, W 32 (32), Pisio, N 6 (6), Merk, E
6 (6), Junek, C 11 (11), Spencer, J 14 (14), Laird, Z 8 (8), McCombs, N 8
(8). P-S--Walls, W 117-81, Pisio, N 26-14, Merk, E 18-15, Junek, C 33-21,
Spencer, J 59-43, Laird, Z 33-23, McCombs, N 20-14.
T--2:58. A--1858
Weather: 25°C; sunny; N 6 km/h
Plate Umpire - Phil McGee, Field Umpire #1 - Scott Mostoway, Field Umpire #3 - Matt Schule
