AA Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks

Alexander Goes the Distance in 1-0 Heartbreaking Loss

July 10, 2015 - American Association (AA)
Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks News Release


FARGO, ND - Tyler Alexander went the distance before a sellout crowd of 4,437 RedHawks faithful on Friday night, but received no run support and dropped a tough 1-0 decision to the Ottawa Champions in interleague play.

This series is the inaugural series for the two teams. The Champions, led by former major league skipper Hal Lanier, are in their first season as an expansion member of the Canadian-American League, sitting at fifth in the league.

They sent Drew Granier to the mound in his ninth start of the season, and he was lights out. It looked as if the RedHawks may have had their way with the Lousiana-Monroe product, as Drew Muren reached on an error and wheeled his way to third creating a threat in the first. He was left stranded and Granier settled in. In fact, the had 5.2 innings of shutout baseball going, until Chad Mozingo sent a liner screaming down the line in right. The ball ricocheted off the back wall and Mozingo scooted to third for an easy standup triple providing the RedHawks with life in the sixth. Granier quickly silenced the crowd of four thousand plus at Newman Outdoor Field as forced Joe Bonfe to fly out to shallow left.

The Champions would score the game's only run in the top of seventh. Mike Schwartz led off with an infield single which he narrowly beat out on a Derek Jeteresque throw from Frank Salerno. Bryce Massarini would advance Schwartz to third on a double sent to the alley in left, and Jon Talley followed with a sacrifice fly to deep left-center scoring Schwartz easily.

Tyler Alexander would retire the side in the next two innings tossing the first complete game of his career. He allowed one run on six hits with one walk and seven strikeouts on 127 pitches. He is the third RedHawks starter in as many days to go the distance on the mound. He is also the second RedHawk in three days to drop a complete game decision, as Brandon Mann did two days ago. Alexander is now 0-2 with a 1.98 ERA, lowest of all starters.

Alan Deratt come on to close the game in the bottom of the ninth. He did so by retiring the RedHawks in order to end the ball game and earned his fourth save of the season. Granier earned his first win of the season, having taken the no-decision in his first eight starts, and has an ERA of 4.36.

Fargo-Moorhead is now 5-13 in one run contests and was shut out for the fourth time this season, and twice in the past three games. They are 14-34 on the season while Ottawa improves to 18-23. The two teams will return for game two tomorrow night with the RedHawks sending 2013 American Association Pitcher of the Year Taylor Stanton to the rubber.

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