Strange Go-Ahead Run Ends Up Being Winning Run as Moose Jaw Out-Scores Berries

After winning their first 16 games at Cairns Field this season, the Saskatoon Berries have dropped two of the last three at home – the latest setback being a 9-8 decision Tuesday night to the Moose Jaw Miller-Express.

The winning run in the game came on a rare, strange play. In the top of the seventh inning, with the score tied 8-8 and the bases loaded with two out, Moose Jaw shortstop Thomas Soto hit a ground ball in the direction of Berries’ shortstop Nathan Houston – except the ball struck one of the umpires before it got to Houston. A ball hitting the umpire means the play is dead, the hitter gets first base and all runners on base advance 90 feet, in this case allowing Gustavo Soto to score from third. Saskatoon couldn’t squeeze out a tying run as they lost for the first time in six games to the 14-20 Miller-Express, leaving the Berries with a 28-5 record. Saskatoon gets Wednesday off, their first idle day from action since June 27, going 9-2 in the stretch of 11 games in 11 days. The Berries’ next action is Thursday in Weyburn. Following is Les Lazaruk’s post-game interview with Saskatoon head coach Joe Carnahan plus the official box score courtesy the W-C-B-L…..

Game Date: 07/08/2025
Moose Jaw Miller Express  9 AT Saskatoon Berries  8

                                 YTD                                   YTD
Moose Jaw          AB  R  H BI   AVG  Saskatoon          AB  R  H BI   AVG
Soto, T SS          5  2  3  1  .313  Menard, E 1B        4  1  2  0  .432
Edwards, W CF       4  3  2  3  .365  Beck, C CF          4  1  1  0  .323
Gurney, A RF        4  1  1  0  .394  Houston, N SS       5  2  1  0  .342
Saenz, E 3B         5  1  3  4  .264  Medina, A 2B        5  0  1  1  .365
DeGrazia, T LF      5  0  1  0  .269  Murdoch, E DH       4  1  0  1  .280
Soto, G C           4  1  1  1  .259  Janner, E RF        4  1  0  0  .281
Yeager, J 1B        5  0  0  0  .227  Wesslund, C 3B      4  0  3  0  .325
Martin, J DH        4  0  0  0  .167  Freeman, J LF       3  0  0  0  .292
Waliczek, B 2B      4  1  1  0  .316  Gonzalez, R C       4  2  2  0  .286
                   40  9 12  9                           37  8 10  2

Moose Jaw            2 0 0   0 3 3   1 0 0 -  9 12  5
Saskatoon            3 2 2   0 1 0   0 0 0 -  8 10  2
2B--Edwards, W CF (14), Saenz, E 3B 2 (6), Medina, A 2B (5). HR--Edwards, W
CF (6). RBI--Soto, T SS (18), Edwards, W CF  3 (38), Saenz, E 3B  4 (22),
Soto, G C (12), TOTALS  9 (0), Medina, A 2B (23), Murdoch, E DH (21),
TOTALS  2 (0). HP--Menard, E 1B (1). SH--Freeman, J LF (0). E--Soto, T SS
(8), Gurney, A RF (1), Saenz, E 3B 2 (8), Soto, G C (6), Wesslund, C 3B 2
(11). 
LOB--Moose Jaw 9, Saskatoon 6. 
                                                                YTD
                                 IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR     ERA
 Moose Jaw
Guardiola, R (W,3-1)            6.0   9   8   2   2   3   0    4.58
Kondo, A (S,1)                  3.0   1   0   0   0   3   0    6.35
                                9    10   8   2   2   6   0
 Saskatoon
Sall, M                         4.2   6   5   4   2   1   0    4.37
Mixon, C                        0.2   4   3   3   0   1   1    5.27
Wouters, C (L,0-1)              1.1   0   1   1   2   1   0    6.75
Martina, K                      2.1   2   0   0   1   3   0    3.06
                                9    12   9   8   5   6   1
PB--Soto, G 2, Gonzalez, R. HB--Kondo, A (2). SO--Edwards, W, Soto, G,
Yeager, J 2, Martin, J 2, Menard, E, Beck, C, Houston, N, Medina, A,
Janner, E 2. BB--Edwards, W, Gurney, A, Soto, G, Martin, J, Waliczek, B,
Beck, C, Murdoch, E. BF--Guardiola, R 30 (185), Kondo, A 11 (54), Sall, M
23 (98), Mixon, C 6 (61), Wouters, C 6 (6), Martina, K 10 (71).
P-S--Guardiola, R 94-60, Kondo, A 55-40, Sall, M 67-44, Mixon, C 23-15,
Wouters, C 22-11, Martina, K 39-27. 
T--2:49.  A--1793

Weather: 29C; sunny; winds gusting.
Plate Umpire - Trevor Drury, Field Umpire #1 - Rob Allan, Field Umpire #2 - Aaron Szejvolt