For five innings Sunday, the Saskatoon Berries appeared to be on their way to a 4-0 start to the 2026 W-C-B-L season. However, a 6-1 lead was squandered by miscommunication, errors and wildness as the Weyburn Beavers rallied for a 9-8 victory – their first in four tries, as the two teams finished four straight games against one another to open the campaign.

With two out in the top of the sixth inning, a nubber in front of home plate saw pitcher Willis Simair and catcher Aidan Marien look at one another as to who would field the ball. That split-second of indecision led to Marien throwing the ball down the right field line and keeping the inning alive. The next six batters reached base via another error, three walks, a hit batsman and a single – resulting in six runs and giving the Beavers their first lead of the afternoon. Then, after Saskatoon tied the score, Weyburn scored twice in the top of the ninth inning – both runs scoring on consecutive hit batsmen with the bases loaded and two out by losing pitcher Brody Wrench and Carter Kopp. In all, the Berries committed four errors, walked eight batters and hit four more. Meanwhile, one Saskatoon player had more hits in front of 1,272 fans at NexGen Patch at Carins Field than the entire Beavers’ team, yet Weyburn prevailed. Berries’ right fielder Ethan Murdoch went five-for-five at the plate, including a ninth inning solo homer that left Saskatoon one run short of extra innings. The Beavers only managed three hits off five Berries’ pitchers. Saskatoon has Monday off, then travels to Regina Tuesday to play the defending W-C-B-L-champion Red Sox. The Berries’ next home game is Thursday against the Moose Jaw Miller-Express at 7 o’clock. Following are Les Lazaruk’s post-game interviews with Saskatoon head coach Joe Carnahan and Murdoch…..