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AA Sioux Falls Canaries

Birds blast Explorers, 9-3

August 14, 2006 - American Association (AA)
Sioux Falls Canaries News Release


Sioux City, IA - The Sioux Falls Canaries (15-21) hit their way to a 9-3 win over the Sioux City Explorers (17-29) on Monday night in Sioux City.

Sioux City took an early lead in the home half of the first inning. J.J. Burress walked and advanced around to third base on a throwing error by Canaries catcher David Hoffman and a wild pitch. Alex Llanos singled to score Burress and give the Explorers a 1-0 lead. Llanos advanced to second on a walk by Jorge Moreno and scored on a single by Jake Daubert. Daubert's RBI base hit gave Sioux City a 2-0 lead after the first inning.

The Canaries went ahead in the third. David Hoffman led off the inning with a single and stole second base to get into scoring position. Angelo Fermin followed with a groundball to shortstop. The grounder was misplayed by shortstop J.J. Burress, and Fermin reached on the error. Anthony Monegan came to the plate and laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third base. Ralph Santana drove the runners home with a double to tie the game, 2-2. Santana stole third base for his 32nd swipe of the year, and Chad Hermansen drove him home to give the Canaries a 3-2 lead.

The Explorers best chance to tie the game came in the sixth inning. With runners on the corners and nobody out, Robert Mendoza hit a groundball to third base. Chris Hall fielded the grounder and threw home to cut down Chris Grossman trying to score. Jason Cierlik came on in relief and got the next batter, Billy Keppinger, to ground into a double play to end the inning with the Birds still in front 3-2.

The Canaries added to their lead in the eighth. Chad Hermansen started the inning with a double off relief pitcher John Howerton. Abner Arroyo followed with a single to drive in Hermansen and extend the Canaries lead, 4-2. Bubba Smith singled and Chris Hall laid down a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third base for John Schmitz. Schmitz singled to score Arroyo for a 5-2 lead, and advanced to second on a throw to the plate. David Hoffman added another single, scoring Smith and Schmitz to put the Canaries ahead 7-2.

Chris Grossman added a run for Sioux City in the bottom of the eighth with his 12th homer of the season. Grossman brought the X's within four, 7-3.

Sioux Falls added insurance in the ninth. Chad Hermansen got on base with his second double of the game and 29th of the season. The double ties Hermansen with Benny Castillo's 1995 mark for the third most doubles in a Canaries season. Abner Arroyo followed with his 12th homer of the season for the 9-3 final.

Aaron Garrison (6-5) pitched 5.1 innings allowing two runs on six hits to get the victory for the Canaries. Tom Lipari (6-8) lost his third game in as many starts against the Canaries this season.

The team's will play their second Day/Night Inter-State Doubleheader on Tuesday. Chad Scarbery and Sean Donlin will start for the Canaries and Aaron Marsden and Chris Swiatkiewicz will start for the Explorers. The teams will meet at the Birdcage on Tuesday morning at 11:30 a.m., when it will be the Canaries "Desk Clock Giveaway" presented by Risk Administration Services. The doubleheader will then move to Sioux City for the night-cap at 7:05 p.m.

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