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Brad Gushue shoots a stone during the fifth round-robin draw of the 2017 Humpty's Champions Cup in Calgary. (Anil Mungal)

Champions Cup Live: Gushue faces Laycock in Draw 5

CALGARY – Reigning world champion Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., goes up against Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock in Draw 5 action Wednesday night at the Humpty’s Champions Cup.

Gushue scored three in the eighth to rebound for a 7-5 win.

Gushue opened with the hammer and scored a three-ender right in the first. Laycock (1-1) got back into it with a deuce in the second and stole one in three to tie it. Gushue was only able to nudge Laycock’s counter as it stayed for the shot rock and the steal.

The teams alternated singles in four and five. Gushue blanked the sixth but conceded a point — and the lead — to Laycock in the seventh. Gushue counted three in the eighth and didn’t even need to throw his last.

Meanwhile, it was a good day at the office for Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen, who claimed his second victory with a 9-1 thrashing over Scotland’s Tom Brewster. McEwen (2-0) stole singles in the second and third then swiped three in the fourth for a commanding 5-0 lead. Brewster (0-2) was held to just a single in five and shook hands when McEwen scored four more in the sixth.

McEwen topped Japan’s Yusuke Morozumi 6-4 in the afternoon.

U.S. national champ John Shuster also went 2-0 on the day after doubling up on Greg Balsdon, of Kingston, Ont., 8-4. Balsdon, the Tour Challenge Tier 2 victor, fell to a 0-2 record.

In women’s division action, Rogers Grand Slam Cup winner Val Sweeting of Edmonton scored a six-ender to power past Ottawa’s Rachel Homan 8-3 in five ends.

Sweeting, who threw 100 percent in the game, broke a 2-2 tie with an amazing triple takeout in the fourth frame to get her six spot. Team Sweeting didn’t ease off of the pedal putting pressure on in the fifth as Homan was forced to make just a light tap for a single and shook hands.

Scotland’s Eve Muirhead bounced back on the day to beat Allison Flaxey of Caledon, Ont., 9-4. Muirhead lost her morning match to Alina Paetz of Switzerland as lead Lauren Gray was not feeling well and the team played as just a trio.

Round-robin action continues to Friday evening at WinSport Arena with the top eight men’s and women’s teams qualifying for the weekend playoffs. TV coverage begins Thursday at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet One.