The ace lived up to the billing on the biggest stage of the season.
Nolan Ruff pitched a complete game gem, allowing just two runs and seven hits while striking out five as the Okotoks Dawgs drew first blood in the WCBL championship series with a 7-2 victory over the Regina Red Sox in Game 1 Thursday night at Currie Field.
Ruff, a 7-0 pitcher during the regular season, held the Eastern Division champions to one run in the third inning and another on a sacrifice fly in the eighth. The Arizona product left it all out on the mound, throwing 126 pitches to see out the result.
Okotoks made the most of its opportunities at the plate and took advantage of three Red Sox errors to give its pitcher more than ample run support.
Catcher Gavin Logan brought in Tristan Peters with an RBI single in the top of the first and in the third reached on an error to score Davis Todosichuk. Still in the third, with Dane Tofteland at the plate Jacob Melton scored on an infield error and Will Hollis made it a three-run inning with an RBI double.
The visitors added three insurance runs in the eighth. JT Patterson's bunt led to a throwing error scoring both Richard Mascarenas and Ricardo Sanchez. Peters then added an RBI single, scoring Patterson to round out the seven run output.
Okotoks is back in front of the best fans in baseball on Friday as the series shifts to Seaman Stadium for Game 2, a 7:05 p.m. start.
If necessary, Game 3 is back at Regina's Currie Field on Saturday evening.
For more information go to dawgsbaseball.ca
