St. Pierre tosses complete game shutout

Bob St. Pierre pitched a complete game shutout to help the Swift Current 57’s complete a sweep of a four-game Alberta road trip with a 4-0 win over the Edmonton Prospects Friday.

St. Pierre held the host Prospects to four hits and no walks during nine shutout innings while facing only 29 batters to improve to 4-4 on the season. St. Pierre lowered his earned run average to 2.86m fifth best among all qualified pitchers, while also leading the league with 50.1 innings.

The 57’s gave their starter an early lead when Riley Campbell and Matt Bondarchuk both doubled to lead off the game. After knocking Campbell home, Bondarchuk scored on a Blake Adams single.

The 2-0 lead held up until the seventh inning when Brett Esau led off with a solo home run, his team leading seventh of the season. Grant Van Scoy would also score on an error to close the scoring in the seventh.

Cole Thibodeau had a triple and a single in the game as he continues to be the league’s most dangerous nine-hole hitter with a .391 average, fourth best among all hitters. Adams’ 37th run batted in leaves him third in the league as well.

The 57’s improved to 23-11 and remain first in the Western Major Baseball League’s Eastern Division. Edmonton dropped to 17-17 with their sixth straight loss.

The 57’s return home to face the Moose Jaw Miller Express on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at Mitchell Field.