June 25, 2021

By Steve Schuster

Winnipeg Goldeyes

JACKSON, TN – The Winnipeg Goldeyes (14-18) beat the Houston Apollos 13-7 at The Ballpark at Jackson on Friday night.

Box Score

Winnipeg jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Tyler Hill led off with a single up the middle that extended his hitting streak to 10 games and took third when Wes Darvill (Langley, B.C.) ripped a double to right-centre. Two batters later, Kyle Martin crushed an opposite-field, three-run home run to left-centre.

Kevin Lachance opened the bottom of the second with a single through the left side and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Jay Gonzalez lined a double to left-centre that scored Lachance. After Sonny Ulliana reached on an error, Tyler Hill doubled off the top of the left field wall to drive home Gonzalez. Darvill followed with a double to centre that scored Ulliana, while Hill crossed the plate on a Max Murphy ground out.

The Goldeyes stretched their lead to 9-0 in the bottom of the third. Logan Hill led off with a towering home run that cleared the 24-foot wall in left field. Two batters later, Gonzalez singled to left-centre and scored on a two-out wild pitch.

Houston (5-29) climbed back into the game with a five-run top of the fourth. Daniel Aldrich put the Apollos on the board with a two-out, two-run double to centre. After Ramon Villa walked, Breland Almadova singled up the middle to drive home Aldrich. Hudson Bilodeau capped the inning with a two-run double down to right-centre.

The Goldeyes re-extended the lead with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Tyler Hill walked leading off, while Darvill followed reaching on an error. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, and the Goldeyes made it 11-5 when Murphy hit a two-run double off the right field fence. After an Apollos’ pitching change, Murphy took third on a fly ball to left from Martin. After Raul Navarro walked, Logan Hill walked on a full count with Navarro in motion towards second base. A throwing error by Bilodeau the catcher ensued, and allowed Murphy to score from third. Lachance reached on an infield single to load the bases, setting up a sacrifice fly to centre from Gonzalez that made it 13-5.

Houston scratched out two runs in the top of the seventh on a Blake Berry sacrifice fly and a two-out, RBI single from Aldrich.

Daniel Kubiuk (2-0) was credited with the win in relief after pitching a scoreless top of the eighth. Kyle Thomas (Mississauga, Ont.) worked a scoreless ninth to close out the game.

Mike Webb started for the Goldeyes and took a no-decision, allowing five earned runs on six hits in four and two-thirds innings. Webb walked three and struck out four.

Derrick Sylve (0-2) started for the Apollos and took the loss, allowing nine runs, eight earned, on 10 hits over three innings. Sylve walked two and struck out five.

The series concludes with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. Game one is scheduled to begin at 4:05 p.m. Game two will begin approximately 30 minutes after the completion of the opener. Both games are scheduled for seven innings.

The Goldeyes will continue to monitor the reopening of the Canada/US border and assess a potential return to Shaw Park in 2021.

In the coming weeks, Winnipeg Goldeyes staff will contact ticket holders with more information and appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding.