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Talk about a statement win.

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The Okotoks Dawgs wasted no time in serving notice that they’re clearly the team to beat in this year’s Western Canadian Baseball League playoffs.

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A 24-7 beatdown of the visiting Energy City Cactus Rats at Seaman Stadium on Friday night leaves no doubt about that.

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Game 1 of the West Division semifinal was certainly one to remember for the Dawgs and the 4,307 fans who were on hand to witness the feat.

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Coming off a President’s Trophy-earning campaign as regular-season champs, the Dawgs actually had to overcome a deficit against the Edmonton visitors, who struck first with two runs in the top of the first inning.

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Okotoks countered with one run in the bottom half.

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Then the floodgates opened: Six runs in the second inning; three in the fourth; five in the fifth inning; four in the seventh; and another five in the eighth. Mercifully, the Cactus Rats didn’t have to pitch to the home side in the ninth.

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Individual batting stats for Dawgs players are also mind-boggling:

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Cal Gates, hitting second in the order, went 5-for-5 at the dish, with two doubles and a triple. In his other plate appearance, Gates was hit by a pitch. He scored all six times he had an opportunity to do so, and added two stolen bases.

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Cleanup hitter Jordan Kievman belted two of the Dawgs’ four home runs and racked up five RBI. He also had a double.

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Nash Crowell, at No. 5 in the order, also went deep, to go along with a triple in a 3-for-4 night at the plate. His efforts produced three RBI and four runs scored.

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No. 3 batter Eric Machej matched Crowell’s 3-for-4 stat-line. All of his hits were doubles that drove in five runs. Machej also scored twice.

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Jack Lussier, pinch-hitting for Machej in the eighth inning, got in on the action with a three-run blast.

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Every Okotoks batter in the starting lineup contributed to the 25-hit barrage. Emmett Stacher had three of them, plus an RBI, while batting ninth. Leadoff man Ricky Sanchez tallied two hits and an RBI, and scored three runs. No. 6 hitter Jacob Wrubleski also had two hits to go along with two RBI.

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On the mound, starter Brady Forno wasn’t at his best, but did give the Dawgs four innings of work and got the win. Forno gave up five earned runs on eight hits while striking out five and walking one.

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Will Labonte worked two innings in relief for Okotoks, followed by one each from Wyatt Sadlier, Matthew Tran and Brody Burnett.

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Cactus Rats starter Kingston Besuijen bore the brunt of the attack. He gave up 10 runs (nine earned) on 12 hits over four innings and took the loss.

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The Dawgs also got to relievers Dave Stewart (five runs in one inning), Lincoln Brown (four runs over two innings) and Hogan Holditch (five runs without recording an out).

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Cooper Gouliquer ended the onslaught after coming in for Holditch in the eighth inning and recording three outs without surrendering a run.