Two nights after losing big in Yorkton, the Moose Jaw Miller Express were back on the field at Jubilee Park on Tuesday night and they were able to extract some revenge on the Cardinals.

All facets of the game were working for the Millers as they rolled to a 14-3 win over the Cardinals to kick-off the week in the Western Major Baseball League.

“We just didn’t have any excuses,” said Head Coach Michael Hunt. “Sunday was the back-end of 18 games in 20 days, so I gave them the challenge that they can use the same excuses next time we play (in Yorkton) or we can reverse it. It was the same team that we played, but we were a different team going in there.”

The offence is the first thing that jumps off the page at you from the game as the Millers put together 23 hits and scored at least a run in six of the nine innings.

“Offensively, defensively and pitching, it was a pretty solid performance all around,” said Hunt.

Lead-off hitter Travis Able set the table for Moose Jaw throughout the night, finishing 5-for-6 with five RBI and three runs scored.

He scored the opening run for the Millers in the first inning, drove in a pair with a double in the second, cashed in another with a single in the third, scored again in the fifth and brought around two more runs with another double in the seventh.

Able is now hitting .356 on the year and is tied with teammate Cole Warken for second in the WMBL in doubles with eight.

“He gives you consistent at-bats, it’s not going to be five knocks every night, but he’s going to be a guy that’s going to work to get outs,” said Hunt. “He makes pitchers throw good pitches and he sees a lot of pitches too, so he gives us a chance to extend pitchers pitch counts and makes defences work to get him out.”

On the mound, Tanner Emes made his first start of the season and was outstanding as he struck out eight over eight innings of work. The Cardinals managed just four hits off Emes, who allowed three runs – just two earned – in the win.

“He threw strikes, he was under 90 pitches for eight innings,” said Hunt. “It was his first start of the year, we’re going to look to him to be a starter the rest of the way, so it was great to get him deep into the game and see what he could as the innings kept adding on.”

Mitchell Price came on for the ninth inning and finished off the win for the Millers with a perfect frame.

The win was big for the Millers as they prepare to head out on a road trip to northern Alberta for the long weekend. Hunt said it gives them some good confidence as they load up the bus.

“It’s a chance to roll in high going into Fort McMurray,” he said. “If we had lost two in row against Yorkton, some guys might have been wondering about a few things, but this gets us back on the right track and gives us good momentum going forward.”

The Millers are 13-9 on the year. They will play the Fort McMurray Giants on Thursday and Friday followed by a trip to Edmonton to take on the Prospects on Canada Day and Sunday.