July 18, 2020

By Steve Schuster

Winnipeg Goldeyes

FARGO, ND – The Winnipeg Goldeyes (7-7) split a double header with the Sioux Falls Canaries (9-4) at Newman Outdoor Field on Saturday afternoon, winning the opener 3-2 in eight innings and dropping the nightcap 13-7.

Box Score – Game 1

Box Score – Game 2

The Goldeyes served as the home team for both games.

Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning in game one, Roy Morales lined a two-out single to left that scored John Nester with the tying run. Nester reached on an infield single leading off. Two batters later, and with Nester running on a full count, Jordan George ripped a single through the right side that allowed Nester to take third base.

Eric Wood (Pickering, Ont.) led off the bottom of the eighth with a single, was sacrificed to second by George, and took third when Jonathan Moroney singled to left on an 0-2 count. After the Canaries intentionally walked Morales to load the bases, Kevin Lachance lifted a flyball to right that was deep enough to allow Wood to beat Clint Coulter’s strong throw to the plate.

Victor Capellan (1-0) picked up the win in relief with a scoreless top of the eighth.

Goldeyes’ starter Kevin Hilton took a no-decision, allowing two runs, one earned, on seven hits in five and one-third innings. Hilton walked none and struck out three.

Sioux Falls took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Jabari Henry reached second on a two-base error and scored on a single chopped up the middle by Alay Lago.

Coulter singled leading off the top of the second, took third on a single from Michael Hart, and came home with the Canaries’ second run on a Logan Landon sacrifice fly to left.

Kyle Martin doubled to the right field wall leading off the bottom of the fourth and took third on Logan Hill’s single to right. Two batters later, Wood ripped a single to left to score Martin and pull Winnipeg within 2-1.

Kent Hasler pitched one and two-thirds scoreless innings in relief of Hilton.

DJ Sharabi (1-1) took the loss for Sioux Falls, allowing one earned run in one and two-thirds innings.

Sioux Falls starter Grady Wood took a no-decision, allowing one earned run on five hits over five innings. Wood walked two and struck out three.

The Canaries sent nine batters to the plate and took a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning of the second game. Lago, Coulter, Hart, Landon, and Brett each drove in a run.

Sioux Falls added seven more runs in the top of the third. Hart led off with a home run to right-centre, while both Henry and Damek Tomscha had two-run singles with the bases loaded. Hart and Landon capped the inning with an RBI single each.

Morales doubled with one out in the home third and eventually scored on a Darnell Sweeney fielder’s choice.

Tomscha homered to right-centre leading off the top of the fifth to make it 13-1.

Winnipeg narrowed the deficit with three runs in the sixth. Wood led off with a home run down the right field line. After Martin doubled to left-centre, Hill lined an RBI single to centre. Hill took third on a two-base throwing error by KC Huth and scored the Goldeyes’ fourth run on a wild pitch.

With two outs and no one on base in the bottom of the seventh, Wood doubled into the right field corner and was driven home un a single to left-centre by Martin. Hill then cracked a two-run homer to right-centre that provided the game’s final margin.

Jake Zokan (2-1) started for the Canaries and won, allowing four runs, three earned, on eight hits in five and two-thirds innings. Zokan walked two and struck out two.

McKenzie Mills (0-2) started for the Goldeyes and took the loss, allowing 11 earned runs on 10 hits in two and one-third. Mills walked two and struck out one.

Nester made his fourth career pitching appearance—and first since 2013—with a scoreless top of the seventh on just seven pitches in the top of the seventh inning.

Moroney hit safely in both ends of the doubleheader and has hit in eight consecutive games. Sweeney had a seven-game hitting streak snapped in the opener.

The series concludes Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. Kevin McGovern (0-1, 12.79) faces right-hander Sam Bragg (1-1, 6.75). All the action can be heard locally on 93.7 FM CJNU and worldwide at www.cjnu.ca