It's early in the Western Canadian Baseball League season, but the Sylvan Lake Gulls may already be getting tired of the Okotoks Dawgs.
The Gulls picked up three wins on the road last week, returning home Saturday to take on the Dawgs at Gulls Stadium.
For the third time this season, the Dawgs downed the Gulls, this time 3-1 in a tight affair.
Sylvan Lake has an 8-3 record this season, all three defeats coming to Okotoks.
In Saturday's loss, the Gulls scattered just three hits over nine innings, scoring an unearned run in the sixth inning. The visitors only fared a bit better, with four hits on the night.
Dawgs catcher Lou Anderson hit a two-run homer off Kyle Froelich in the seventh with the game tied at one, which proved to be the difference. Okotoks starter Garrett Maloney struck out eight over six innings of work, while allowing just one hit and no walks. Seth Thompson earned the save for the Dawgs.
James Brock pitched five solid innings for Sylvan Lake, allowing just one hit and one run, to go along with three walks and five strikeouts. Zach Bowman and Josh Tucker each pitched an inning of scoreless ball in relief.
The Gulls remain second in the WCBL West Division, two games back of the Dawgs.
The Gulls will continue their seven game homestand Tuesday when they welcome the Fort McMurray Giants to town for a pair of games. Sylvan Lake knocked off the Giants 11-4 and 7-1 in two games in Fort McMurray last week.