Martin homers twice in Goldeyes' season-opening win
Winnipeg Goldeyes 1B Kyle Martin homered twice in his club’s 9-5 season-opening win over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks on Friday. Photo: Winnipeg Goldeyes/Twitter
July 3, 2020
By Steve Schuster
Winnipeg Goldeyes
FARGO, ND – The Winnipeg Goldeyes (1-0) beat the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (0-1) 9-5 at Newman Outdoor Field on Friday night.
Tied at 1-1 in the top of the fourth inning, John Nester doubled to the wall in left-centre leading off. After RedHawks’ starter Bradin Hagens retired the next two batters, Kyle Martin crushed a towering home run down the right field line to give Winnipeg a 3-1 lead.
Goldeyes’ starter Mitchell Lambson (1-0) kept Winnipeg in front, delivering six innings and allowing just one earned run. Lambson walked one, struck out seven, and picked up the win.
The Goldeyes loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the seventh, and pushed their lead to 4-1 when Roy Morales came back from an 0-2 count to draw a 10-pitch walk that forced home Logan Hill.
After Kent Hasler struck out the side during a scoreless bottom of the seventh, the Goldeyes made it 6-1 in the eighth on another two-out, two-run home run from Martin—this time on a flyball to right-centre.
In the top of the ninth, a Wes Darvill (Richmond, B.C.) single and a Darnell Sweeney walk set up an eventual two-out, three-run homer to right-centre from Jordan George.
Fargo-Moorhead clawed back in the bottom of the ninth with four two-out runs. With the tying run on deck, Dylan Rheault (Garson, Ont.) came in from the bullpen and struck out Leobaldo Pina on three pitches to end the game and earn his first save of the year.
The Goldeyes took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Nester reached first leading off when Pina was charged with an error at third base. Hill lined a single to right two batters later, while Kevin Lachance’s two-out single to centre chased home Nester.
The RedHawks briefly tied the game in the bottom of the third when Blake Grant-Parks hit a solo home run to left.
Eight of the Goldeyes’ nine runs were scored with two outs.
Hagens (0-1) took the loss for the RedHawks, allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits over six innings. Hagens walked one and struck out 10.
Hill and Lachance each finished with three hits.
The Goldeyes and RedHawks play game two of their season-opening, three-game series Saturday evening at 5:00 p.m. Frank Duncan (0-0, 0.00) makes his Goldeyes’ debut opposite Fargo-Moorhead left-hander Tyler Pike (0-0, 0.00). All the action can be heard locally on 93.7 FM CJNU, and worldwide at www.cjnu.ca