Saturday, September 6, 2008

Grand Prairie AirHogs 4, Sioux Falls Canaries 5

By Pegasus News wire

The Grand Prairie AirHogs' magical ride in their expansion season came to an end on Friday night in game four of the championship. They dropped a heart-breaking 5-4 game to the Sioux Falls Canaries in 12 innings. Sioux Falls wins the championship, defeating the AirHogs three games to one.

airhogsbaseball.com

The AirHogs drop a heart-breaker on Friday, ending their season.

For the second straight game, Sioux Falls got on the board first with a solo shot. Will Smith deposited a solo-blast over the wall in right field, giving the Canaries the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

Grand Prairie answered with a homerun of their own in the top of the second. Billy Munoz drilled a solo blast to left field, knotting up the score at 1-1. Brandon Carter nearly gave G.P. their first lead, but Ben Van Iderstine scaled the wall to rob Carter of the homer.

The Canaries jumped on top 2-1 in the bottom of the second. Josh Patton cranked a solo homerun to right field, his first of the postseason.

The AirHogs had the bases loaded in the top of the third with two away. However, Billy Munoz struck out on a full-count to end the frame.

Sioux Falls went up 3-1 in the bottom of the third. Tim Hutting reached on a lead-off single. JD Reininger came up and attempted a sacrifice bunt. Jose Cordero fielded it off the mound and threw it wildly to second base. This allowed Hutting to reach third base. He would score on a two out RBI single up the middle for Beau Torbert. Sioux Falls left the bases loaded with two outs to end the inning.

The Canaries padded their lead in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, Hutting blasted a triple deep to centerfield. He was plated on an RBI single for Reininger.

Grand Prairie used the long ball to tie up the game in the top of the eighth. David Espinosa led off with a walk. Nicholson followed with a two-run shot over the wall in right field. JB Tucker came up afterward and smashed a solo shot to left, knotting up the score at 4-4.

Sioux Falls loaded the bases in the bottom of the 11th with three straight walks. However, with two outs Kennard Bibbs bunted it down the first base line and Munoz picked it up and tagged the bag to end the threat.

The Canaries put it together in the bottom of the 12th inning. With AJ Jenkins pitching, Beau Torbert led off with a single. He moved to second on a walk to Patton. Ben Vaniderstine loaded the bases with a bunt single. The winning run came in an on RBI single past the mitt of Carter at second by Patrick Reilly, to clinch the championship.

Jose Cordero started for Grand Prairie and got the no decision. He lasted 6.2 innings ,allowing four runs, all earned on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Jenkins (1-1) was the losing pitcher for Grand Prairie. He faced two batters, allowing one run, on one hit, with a walk and no strikeouts.

Pat Mahomes started for Sioux Falls and got the no decision. He went eight innings, surrendering four runs, all earned, on six hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. Mark Roberts (1-0) earns the victory for Sioux Falls. He lasted two innings, allowing no runs on one hit with three strikeouts.

Source: Grand Prairie AirHogs

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