SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. — Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers and Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher both improved to 4-0 records during Draw 6 action at the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling National Friday morning.
Carruthers outlasted Masters champion Brad Gushue 6-4 while Bottcher earned a 7-5 victory over Rob Rumfeldt. Only one of them will finish the round robin undefeated as Carruthers and Bottcher clash in Draw 8 at 3:30 p.m. ET live on Sportsnet.
Carruthers gave up a single steal to Gushue in the second but bounced back scoring three in the third and stealing one in the fourth to lead 4-1. Gushue earned a deuce in the fifth and a single steal in six to tie it 4-4 but Carruthers earned a deuce in the seventh.
The team of Carruthers, Braeden Moskowy, Derek Samagalski and Colin Hodgson are playing in their first Grand Slam together after the rink formed in the off-season. Carruthers previously played front-end for Team Jeff Stoughton and captured the National in 2013.
Gushue, from St. John’s, N.L., fell to a 1-2 record.
Pinty’s GSOC National: Latest scores & stats
Meanwhile, Bottcher jumped out to an early 5-0 lead thanks to a three-ender in the second followed by a steal of two in three. Rumfeldt (0-3), from Guelph, Ont., got on the board with a deuce in the fourth and a steal of one in the fifth. Bottcher settled for one in six. Rumfeldt closed to within one by scoring two in seven but gave up the hammer coming home and Bottcher added another single.
Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen (3-1) settled for one in the opening end but charged ahead stealing two in the second and scoring three in the fourth during a 7-4 win over John Shuster (1-3), from Duluth, Minn. Trailing 6-1, Shuster cut the deficit with two in the fifth and a steal of one in six.
Mark Kean (1-3), from Stoney Creek, Ont., picked up his first win at the National with an 8-6 victory over Toronto’s John Epping (2-1). Kean broke a 2-2 tie with a three-ender in the fifth and held on after the two rinks exchanged deuces and Epping added another pair in the seventh. Kean closed the game scoring a single in the eighth.
Calgary’s Matthew Blandford (2-1) grabbed a single in the second, stole one in the third and scored three in the fifth for a 5-2 victory over Charlottetown’s Adam Casey (1-3).
National action continues on Sportsnet live at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT featuring Epping taking on defending champion Glenn Howard.
