The Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy will be up for grabs Saturday night in Okotoks.

The Moose Jaw Miller Express staved off elimination Friday night with a five-run eighth inning to edge the visiting Okotoks Dawgs 8-7 in Game 2 of the best-of-three Western Canadian Baseball League Final to force the winner-take-all Game 3 on Aug. 17.

Okotoks got to work early at Ross Wells Park with two runs in the first with Brendan Luther scoring on an error and Jarrett Burney driving in Ricky Sanchez on a fielder’s choice.

Logan Grant added to the advantage with a solo home run in the second inning. In the fifth, Luther and Aidan Rose scored off a Sanchez single. The Dawgs added runs in the seventh through a Sanchez RBI single and the eighth on a bases loaded walk to Rose.

On the bump, Okotokian Brody Forno tossed 4.1 innings, striking out three and getting out of bases loaded no outs jams in the bottom of the second and third.

In the top of the fifth, Moose Jaw slugger Austin Gurney brought his team back in the game with a three-run home run.  

In the eighth, Moose Jaw rallied with a five-run inning to steal its first lead of the game with Nathan Houston’s RBI single, a bases loaded walk, sacrifice fly and wild pitch combining to give the hosts the one-run lead.

The Dawgs took Game 1 of the best-of-three final by a 7-4 score Thursday night at Seaman Stadium led by a six-run second inning.

Okotoks is pursuing its third straight WCBL championship after winning the past two titles at Seaman Stadium in Game 3 of best-of-three series.

They’ll look to repeat the feat Saturday night at 7 p.m. in Okotoks.

(Remy Greer is a journalist with the Western Wheel newspaper. This article has been published here with his permission).