Darvill has four hits, Bourassa earns win in Goldeyes return to Winnipeg
Photo: Winnipeg Goldeyes/Twitter
August 4, 2021
By Steve Schuster
Winnipeg Goldeyes
WINNIPEG, MB – The Winnipeg Goldeyes (33-35) beat the Sioux City Explorers 14-6 at Shaw Park on Tuesday night.
It marked the Goldeyes’ first official home game since September 2, 2019.
The Explorers (39-30) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an RBI single from Jacob Bockelie.
Winnipeg roared back with 12 unanswered runs. In the bottom of the first, Tyler Hill and Wes Darvill (Langley, B.C.) opened the inning with back-to-back singles, leading to a three-run home run to right-centre from Kyle Martin.
Austin Rei lined a single to left on a 1-2 count leading off the bottom of the second. Tyler Hill followed with a two-run home run on a line drive to right-centre.
Max Murphy’s solo shot to right-centre in the bottom of the fourth made it 6-1.
The Goldeyes broke the game open with a six-run bottom of the fifth. Three straight walks to Logan Hill, Dakota Conners, and Rei loaded the bases with no outs. Tyler Hill lined a single to centre that scored Logan Hill and Conners. Darvill followed with an RBI single up the middle, while Murphy slugged an RBI double to right-centre that made it 11-1. Murphy later scored on a wild pitch for the Goldeyes’ 12th run.
The Explorers cut the deficit to 12-3 in the top of the sixth, scoring a pair of runs on back-to-back errors.
Winnipeg re-extended the lead to 14-3 in the bottom of the seventh. Darvill lined a single to left leading off, and the Goldeyes loaded the bases when Murphy and Martin were each hit by a pitch. Raul Navarro and Kevin Lachance then hit back-to-back sacrifice flies.
The Explorers pulled within 14-5 in the eighth on a two-out, two-run homer to right-centre from Carson McCurdy. Jarrett Anton’s RBI single in the top of the ninth accounted for Sioux City’s final run.
Lethbridge, Alta., native Landen Bourassa (1-0) started for the Goldeyes and picked up his first career professional win, allowing three unearned runs on four hits in seven innings. Bourassa walked two, struck out four, and retired nine straight batters from the second through the fourth innings.
Jonathan Vance (0-1) started for the Explorers and took the loss, allowing six earned runs on 13 hits in four innings. Vance walked one and struck out two.
Game two of the series is Wednesday night at 6:35 p.m. Dylan Burns (0-1, 3.52) faces Winnipeg native Marc-Andre Habeck (0-0, 0.00).