Shortstop Brock Laird scored the winning run from third base on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Saskatoon Berries a 3-2 triumph over the Regina Red Sox before just over 19-hundred fans at Cairns Field Saturday night.

A Natchitoches, Louisiana, product – coming off his freshman college season at Southeastern Louisiana University – Laird walked with one out and advanced to second on a bloop base hit by designated hitter Erik Aguirre. After centre-fielder Nash Nicholls popped up for the second out, losing Regina pitcher Jake Fowler threw back-to-back wild pitches to Berries’ second baseman Gael Salinas, allowing Laird to scamper home – handing the 3-5 Red Sox their fourth straight loss in the process. Tanner Hosick, the fifth Saskatoon pitcher of the night, was credited with the win. Five Berries’ hurlers combined to allow just five hits while stranding 11 Regina runners – including Hosick leaving the bases loaded in the top of the ninth. It was the third one-run victory for Saskatoon already this season and the fifth time in the last six games that the Berries have had a game decided by one run. The triumph upped Saskatoon’s record to 6-2, good for first place in the W-C-B-L’s East Division – a game-and-a-half ahead of second place Weyburn. The 4-3 Beavers, winners of four straight, are at Cairns Field Sunday afternoon at 1 o’clock. Following are Les Lazaruk’s post-game conversations with Laird and Berries’ head coach Joe Carnahan, plus the official box score courtesy the W-C-B-L website…..