With their season on the line, Melville’s Allen Rimer came out of the bullpen and kept his Millionaires alive.
Rimer allowed one hit in the final five innings of the game Saturday as the Mils beat the Moose Jaw Miller Express 6-5 in Western Major Baseball League playoff action.
The deciding Game 5 will be played Sunday night (7 p.m., Pirie Field) in Melville.
The winner of the series will meet the Regina Red Sox in the East final. That series will start Monday in Regina.
Melville got off to a perfect start thanks to a two-out rally in the top of the first inning. A bloop single and walk put runners on for Campbell Cooper who singled home Sebastian Wong. Sheldon O’Dell delivered the big blow by hitting a three-run home to stake the visitors to a 4-0 lead.
The Express came out swinging and immediately got back into the game.
Scott Jones hit an RBI double in the first inning. Logan Lippert led off the second with a solo home run before Michael Corso’s RBI single drove in Brennan Reidy to get the Express to within a run.
Mils starter Michael Medina allowed seven hits in the first two innings and was pulled after the third.
The Express took a 5-4 lead in the fourth when they capitalized on a Mils error as Reidy scored to tie the game. Later in the inning Corso drove Austin Russell home for his second run of the game.
The Mils struck right back in the top of the fifth, O’Dell doubled to set the table for Cam Firth’s two-run single.
Rimer — who led the Mils with a 5-2 record in the regular season — finished with six strike outs after he allowed two unearned runs on four hits and didn’t walk a batter.
A Michael Gilleland single and an error gave the Express runners on second and third in the seventh inning, but Ben Wylly struck out looking to end the threat. The Express wouldn’t get another base runner.
Tyler O’Bryant pitched two innings of no-hit baseball in relief for the Express, while Tanner Spencer walked two batters in the ninth, but didn’t allow a hit to keep them within a run.
Dustin Caplette-Tarrant gave up seven hits in six innings and struck out eight batters while taking the loss.
Lefty Drew Evans will start Game 5 for Moose Jaw after getting over strep throat.
Gilleland returned home to prepare for his collegiate baseball season after Saturday’s game and starting shortstop Jon Cotter remains sidelined with a leg injury and is out for Game 5.
