An Okotoks Dawgs pitcher knows what it’s like for an understudy suddenly being cast in the main role on opening night in front of a large crowd.
Pitcher Alex Graham got the call to start for the Dawgs’ home-opener June 6 because scheduled starter Ryan Rogers’ eligibility to play in the Western Major Baseball League was being questioned.
Graham didn’t know he was getting the start until about four hours before the opening pitch. He turned in an encore performance. The right-hander gave up one run on four hits in the Dawgs’ 5-1 victory in front of 1,807 fans at Seaman Stadium.
“I found out this afternoon when I came here to help prepare the field — I was stoked,” Graham said after the game. “I was just trying not to do anything different than the way I pitched at UBC in the spring.”
However, when Graham pitched at UBC, it was about a month ago. It also wasn’t in front of 1,800 fans braving a cold night and who were hungry for Dawgs’ baseball.
“I was a little nervous in the first inning,” Graham said. “I just went out there and threw and I calmed down.”
Graham gave up a leadoff single to the Bulls’ Zach Rhodes in the first inning. However, the pitcher’s best friend — a double play, helped him out.
Bull Corey Wood hit a groundball to Dawgs shortstop Thomas Rogrigues who flipped the ball to second basemen Rylan Chin to force out Rhodes. Chin threw a strike to first baseman Stetson Olson for the 6-4-3 double play.
Graham was then able to pitch out of the inning.
He was further helped when the Dawgs’ hitters scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning.
“They went out there and were swinging right away and took a lot of pressure off the pitcher,” Graham said. “After that I just went right after the hitters and stayed ahead (on the count). That’s what you do when you have a 4-0 lead.
The first five batters for the 2012 Dawgs’ home-opener, Tyler Hollick, Chin, Zac Asman, Jordan Procyshen and John Apostolo all got on base.
The big blow came from Apostolo who doubled with the bases loaded to give the Dawgs a 3-0 lead. They would add another run before the end of the inning.
The Bulls scratched out a run in the third inning to close the gap to 4-1.
However, Okotoks regained the four-run lead at 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth when the Dawgs’ Olson did the near impossible. He hit a ball into the teeth of a strong wind and over the Seaman Stadium right-field wall for the first home run at the ballpark in 2012.
“It was 2-0 inside fastball — it was the first pitch they threw inside to me all day,” the switch-hitting Olson said. “I adjusted and was able to hit it just inside right-field foul pole.”
Okotoks right-hander Trent Wilson came in at the top of the sixth inning and proved to be the ultimate matador.
He stuck a sword in the Bulls’ chances by pitching four innings of perfect ball and striking out three.
It was only the Dawgs’ second victory in six home-openers at Seaman Stadium.
The victory gave the Dawgs a 3-1 record in the WMBL. They take on the Bulls again tonight (June 7) at Seaman Stadium.
Rogers was ruled eligible to play after last night’s game. He will get the start tonight for the Dawgs. Check the June 13 edition of the Western Wheel for further details about the Rogers’ ruling.
