Winnipeg sweeps Pheasants in four games

WINNIPEG, Manitoba. – The Winnipeg Goldeyes completed a four-game sweep of the Sioux Falls Pheasants with a lopsided 11-3 win on Tuesday night at Shaw Park in Winnipeg.

It appeared early that the Pheasants would change the tone of the series when Jonny Kaplan led off the game with a double. The Pheasants loaded the bases with one out and scored the first run with Cristian Guerrero’s sacrifice fly.

Winnipeg (30-20) responded with three run in the bottom of the first for a 3-1 lead. Jon Weber, Luis Alen and Kyle Day each had an RBI to give the Goldeyes the lead for good.

Winnipeg scored a run in the second, and Yurendell de Caster delivered the big blow with a grand slam in the fourth as part of a five-run fourth inning. Josh Mazzola’s two-run home run in the sixth capped the Winnipeg scoring.

Pheasants starter Mark Michael (5-4) lasted just 3 1/3 innings, allowing nine runs on 11 hits.

Rich Hawkins (3-1) earned the victory, limiting the Pheasants to just two runs on two hits in six innings.

Al Quintana’s 3-for-4 performance with an RBI double led the Pheasants’ offense.

The Pheasants (25-25) have lost six games in a row after starting a road trip on July 3 with a 24-18 record.

The Pheasants begin a four-game series against Sioux City at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday, July 12, in Sioux City. The game will be broadcast on Sioux Falls Sports Radio 1230-AM and www.kwsn.com.