Pheasants lose heartbreaker to Sioux City
Published on July 8, 2011 under American Association (AA)
Sioux Falls Canaries News Release
SIOUX FALLS- The Sioux Falls Pheasants' ninth-inning rally came up just short in their 9-7 loss to the Sioux City Explorers Thursday at Sioux Falls Stadium.
Leading 5-4 going into the ninth, Sioux City scored four runs, including Kent Sakamoto's two-run homer off of Sioux Falls reliever Ryan Grant, and the game looked to be well in hand.
The Pheasants battled back though in the bottom half, as Reggie Abercrombie's one-out double cut the Explorers' lead to 9-7 and put the tying run at second base. But Hunter Jobes struck out looking and Henry Contreras grounded out to end the game.
"Any loss is disappointing," said manager Steve Shirley. "We fought back and had a couple of at bats there where we could've tied the game or won the game but it just didn't work out."
Explorers reliever Matt Gibbs (5-4) collected the win, relinquishing just one hit in four innings of work.
Pheasants starter Barry Fowler (3-2) ran into trouble after quickly retiring the first two batters of the game. After a walk to Tyler Goodro, Kent Sakamoto doubled to right center field to put runners at second and third. Ray Serrano followed with a single to bring home Goodro and Sakamoto, giving the Explorers a 2-0 lead.
A 58-minute rain delay halted play after the first inning.
The Birds loaded the bases in the second, but Contreras popped up to first to end the inning.
The Explorers did more damage in the third on an RBI single by Brett Flowers. Schermerhorn doubled to drive in Flowers to extend Sioux City's lead to 4-0.
Sioux Falls answered in the bottom half when Anthonsen doubled and Trevor Lawhorn tripled off of Explorers' starter Jason Jarvis to score the Pheasants' first run of the game. Gus Milner's sacrifice fly plated Lawhorn to cut the Explorer's lead to 4-2. Following a single by Mark Shorey, Brandon Sing belted his 17th home run of the season to tie the game.
Jarvis exited with two outs in the third, giving up four runs on five hits with five walks. Gibbs entered and retired the first five batters he faced before walking Sing with one out in the fifth.
Sioux City retook the lead for good in the sixth when Schermerhorn led off the inning with a solo blast. Fowler departed after retiring the next batter, completing 5 1/3 innings while allowing five runs on 10 hits.
"I thought Barry was throwing the ball well," said Shirley about Fowler pitching after the rain delay. "He was pitching his best in the fourth and fifth, so I don't think it had any effect on him at all."
Sioux Falls reliever Dan McDaniel pitched well out of the bullpen, throwing 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
Six Sioux City starters had multi-hit games. Eddie Delacruz pitched the final 2 1/3 innings to earn his fifth save of the year.
The loss drops the Pheasants to 23-29.
The two clubs head to Iowa for the second of this three-game, home-and-home series starting at 7:05 p.m. on Friday, July 8. The game will be broadcast live on Sioux Falls Sports Radio 1230-AM KWSN and online at www.kwsn.com.
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