The Southeast Performance Pump midget AAA Twins split their final four games of the season in Estevan, dropping two games to the Regina White Sox on Friday but responding with a pair of victories over the Lloydminster Pirates the next day.
The Twins fell behind 7-0 in the fourth inning against the White Sox, but responded with three in the fourth and four in the fifth to tie the game, with Tyren Dorrence’s grand slam home run accounting for the runs in the fifth.
The White Sox tallied three times in the sixth and once in the seventh to pull away.
Justin VanAchte’s two-run triple in the third was the other big offensive playfor the Twins.
Boston Walker pitched five innings for the Twins and gave up seven runs. Rylan Erb pitched the other two frames and gave up four earned runs.
In the second game, the Twins dropped an 11-1 decision in five innings, with their lone run coming in the fourth inning. The White Sox scored four in the first, five in the fourth and two in the fifth; the game was called after five innings due to the mercy rule.
Hudson Neuberger went 2-for-2 for the Twins, who had four hits in the game.
Ty Nikolejsin gave up four earned runs in three innings, while Kaiden Lyons surrendered seven runs, three of them unearned, in 1 1/3 innings of relief.
Aiden Krafchuk pitched the remaining two-thirds of an inning in relief, and didn’t allow a baserunner.
The Twins opened their double header against the Northwest Prairie Pirates on Saturday with a 6-4 victory. The Pirates had a 4-3 lead entering the bottom of the sixth, but the Twins tallied three times, and then held off the Pirates in the seventh.
Jayke Smolinski, Nikolejsin and Krafchuk each had two runs batted in for the Twins, who managed nine hits in the game.
Burke Lyons surrenred four runs, two of them unearned, in five innings of work. He also struck out six.
Alex Kerr picked up the win in relief as he didn’t allow a base-runner in two innings.
The strong pitching continued in the second game against the Pirates, as Thomas Husband allowed just five hits and one walk in six innings of work. Bryson Andres came on in relief and allowed one hit in the final inning.
Ironically, the Twins didn’t record a strikeout in the shutout victory.
Dorreance hit another home run, this time a two-run shot, to lead the offence. Burke Lyons and VanAchte had two-hit games.
The Twins next action is July 10 at the Saskatoon Cubs.
