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AA Sioux Falls Canaries

Clutch hitting lifts Pheasants past Kansas City

July 4, 2012 - American Association (AA)
Sioux Falls Canaries News Release


KANSAS CITY, Kan. - The Sioux Falls Pheasants used timely two-out hitting and solid pitching in a 7-2 win over the Kansas City T-Bones on Wednesday night at Community America Ballpark.

The victory combined with the Winnipeg Goldeyes' loss to Fargo-Moorhead pulled the Pheasants (25-19) to just one game out of first place in the North Division.

Kansas City took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly, but the Pheasants rallied for two two-out runs in the third. Cory Morales swatted a solo home run to left field to tie the game. Jared Bolden then doubled, and Cesar Nicolas brought him home with a single up the middle for a 2-1 advantage.

The Pheasants never trailed after the third inning, and they added three more two-out runs in the fourth. Joe Anthonsen initiated the rally with a double, and Jonny Kaplan collected an infield single. Cory Morales squibbed an infield hit to score Anthonsen, and third baseman Enrique Cruz committed a throwing error that allowed Kaplan to plate from first. In the next at-bat, Bolden tripled to deep left-center field and knocked in Morales.

"Today was a good day for us," said Bolden, who was 4-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and two runs scored. "We were looking for a pitch we knew we could handle rather than fishing for pitches in the dirt."

Pheasants starter Pete Gehle (4-3) turned in a quality start on short rest for his second consecutive win. He limited Kansas City to two runs, one earned, over six innings. He walked two men and struck out one. In his last four starts, Gehle has allowed just four earned runs in 25 1/3 innings.

Kansas City (25-21) scored its second run with a bases-loaded, two-out single in the fourth, but could not do any more against Pheasants pitchers.

Gehle and a trio of relievers combined to shut out the T-Bones in the last five innings on just one hit. Dan Cooper tossed a perfect seventh inning, and Kyle Mertins did the same in the eighth. Jack Van Leur gave up a walk and a hit but nothing more in the ninth.

The Pheasants' final two runs came on a pair of sacrifice flies from Morales and Nicolas in the ninth inning. Morales was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a home run and three RBI.

The second game of the four-game series is at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday, July 5, in Kansas City. The game will be broadcast on Sioux Falls Sports Radio 1230-AM and www.kwsn.com.

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