CANARIES SURVIVE MARATHON NINTH INNING IN FARGO
Fargo, ND – The Sioux Falls Canaries snapped a three-game losing skid Tuesday night with a 13-12 win at Fargo-Moorhead, a game in which both teams scored five runs in the ninth inning.
A pair of two-out RBI singles in the bottom of the second put the RedHawks in front 2-0 but the Canaries took the lead in the top of the third on a Mike Hart RBI fielder’s choice coupled with a two-run homer from Michael Curialle.
Fargo-Moorhead answered with a two-run shot of their own in the bottom of the third and scored again in the fourth with an RBI double.
The Canaries struck for four runs in the top of the fifth and never trailed after that. Hart smacked an RBI single before Curialle tied the game with a double. Anthony Hall and Trevor Achenbach followed with a pair of sacrifice groundouts.
Joe Vos led off the sixth inning with a single and later scored on a wild pitch to give Sioux Falls an 8-5 lead.
The RedHawks loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the eighth and a pair of sacrifice flyouts got the hosts within a run.
Hart led off the ninth inning with a solo homerun and Achenbach later singled to bring in Curialle, who reached base via base hit. A two-run error and a Josh Rehwaldt RBI double gave the Canaries a six-run lead going into the last of the ninth.
But Fargo-Moorhead loaded the bases with no outs for the second consecutive inning. An RBI fielder’s choice and a grand slam made it a one-run game once again but Will Levine entered the game and recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.
Curialle and Rehwaldt each finished with three hits while Curialle and Hart both knocked in three runs. Sean Gamble tossed 1 1/3 scoreless and hitless innings of relief to earn the win.
The Birds are now 44-44 and remain 1 1/2 games above Sioux City for the final West Division playoff spot. The two teams resume their series Wednesday at 7:02pm.
