The seventh inning cost the Moose Jaw Under-18 AA Canucks against the Regina Buffaloes on Thursday night at Ross Wells Park.

The Canucks led for most of the game, but the Buffaloes scored four times in the final inning to steal away a 6-3 win. Moose Jaw drops to 1-1 in Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League play.

"Even with the last inning, we can still be happy with how we played," said Canucks first baseman Ryley Gross. "You can't really control how they bat, our pitchers threw strikes and that's what we want."

The Buffaloes found their offensive groove in the seventh inning as the first five hitters reached base, capped off by an RBI-single from Darian Leary and a two-run double from Kael Eckert to give them the win.

Gross said that the Canucks will learn from the defeat and shake it off because he feels they're playing some solid baseball two games into the season.

"Our infield is really strong right now, we haven't missed many ground balls hit to us and we've made the plays that we've needed to," said Gross. "The other thing we're doing well is our pitchers are throwing and that's what we need early in the season."

Canucks shortstop Chase Coward goes for the tag on the Buffaloes base-runner during Thursday's meeting at Ross Wells Park. (Photo: Marc Smith)

Cam O'Reilly started for the Canucks, allowing one unearned run on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts. 

Evan Callaghan was tagged with the winning runs in the seventh after throwing 3+ innings, giving up four runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out four.

Jeremy Kohl came in to finish things off in the seventh, allowing one run on two hits with one strikeout.

Lead-off hitter Chase Coward walked three times and came around to score twice, but the Canucks were held to just three hits in the loss. Gross went 1-for-3, while catcher Tyler Lorenz and third baseman Nick Daly each drove in a run in the loss. 

Moose Jaw opened the scoring when Coward walked, stole second and then scored on a grounder from Lorenz.

Regina scored once on two hits in the second inning, but the Canucks answered right back with Coward coming around to score again on a wild pitch.

The Buffaloes loaded the bases in the third, but O’Reilly pitched his way out of trouble.

Callaghan smacked a lead-off triple in the fifth and then came around to score on a sac-fly from Daly to get the Canucks some much-needed insurance at 3-1.

Evan Callaghan launches his fifth inning triple during Thursday's meeting with the Buffaloes at Ross Wells Park. (Photo: Marc Smith)

Regina picked up three hits and scored once in the sixth to cut the lead back down to one and then they strung together two walks, two singles and a double to score four times in the seventh for the win.

Leary was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored in the win for Regina, while Eckert went 2-for-3 with a walk, two RBI and a run scored.

Luke Hanson picked up the win on the mound, throwing two shutout innings with two strikeouts and just one hit.

The Canucks have a busy weekend ahead with four games over two days. They will host the Prince Albert Royals for a doubleheader on Saturday and then travel to Estevan for two games against the Brewers on Sunday.

"We're ready to go, the boys are pretty fired up," said Gross. "Four games in two days, not much more you can ask for really."