SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Sioux Falls Canaries’ offense was held in check for the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. That didn’t last in game two.
After dropping the first game 3-2 to the Winnipeg Goldeyes, the Birds exploded for a 13-7 win in the second game of the twin bill from Fargo, North Dakota.
The Birds took a 12-0 lead in the third inning of the second game, plating five runs in the first and seven in the third. Mike Hart and Damek Tomscha both homered for the Birds in the victory.
The Canaries (9-4) stood a half-game ahead of Milwaukee for first place in the American Association at the end of the game, with the Milkmen playing St. Paul Saturday night.
Sioux Falls took a 2-0 lead in game one. Jabari Henry reached on an error in the first, and scored on an RBI single by Alay Lago. Logan Landon drove in Clint Coulter with a sacrifice fly in the second to put the Birds up two.
From there Goldeyes starter Kevin Hilton quieted the Canary offense from there. He allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits over 5.1 innings, walking none, hitting two batters and striking out three.
Birds starter Grady Wood allowed just one run in five innings of work, on a fourth-inning RBI single from Eric Wood. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out three.
Winnipeg, designated as the home team, tied the score in the sixth, knocking three singles against Birds reliever Ryan Fritze. Roy Morales drove in John Nester to make it 2-2.
The seven-inning game went to extras with the score deadlocked. Winnipeg walked it off in the bottom of the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Kevin LaChance, scoring Wood.
The Birds’ bats woke up in a big way in the doubleheader’s second game. Five different Birds drove in a run in the first inning, which featured five hits and nine total batters.
The Canaries poured it on even more in the third, when 12 batters came to the plate. Hart led off the inning with a solo home run, his first of the season. Henry and Tomscha each had two-run singles in the inning. Winnipeg starter McKenzie Mills allowed 11 runs in 2.1 innings of work.
Winnipeg pushed a run across in the third inning off Canaries starter Jake Zokan, but Tomscha got it back in the fifth with a solo homer, his third of the season.
Zokan allowed three late runs in the sixth. Wood hit a solo home run, Kyle Martin doubled, and Logan Hill hit an RBI single to make it 13-3. Hill moved to third on a throwing error by Birds center fielder K.C. Huth. He later scored on a wild pitch.
Zokan gave way to Dakota Freese, who induced an inning-ending flyout. Zokan allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits over 5.2 innings of work, walking two and striking out two.
Freese allowed three runs in the seventh and final frame, but got Jordan George to ground out to end it.
UP NEXT
The rubber game of the series between Sioux Falls and Winnipeg is set for Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Sam Bragg will pitch for the Birds; Kevin McGovern will get the ball for the Goldeyes. Birds fans can find links to watch and listen to the game at sfcanaries.com.
Carter Woodiel contributed to this report.
