Pheasants Rally to Win Season Finale
Published on September 3, 2012 under American Association (AA)
Sioux Falls Canaries News Release
EL PASO, Texas. - Trailing by five runs in the eighth inning, the Sioux Falls Pheasants rallied for nine unanswered runs to beat the El Paso Diablos 11-7 in Monday afternoon's season finale.
The Pheasants split the four-game series to finish a seven-game road trip at 3-4 and complete the season with a 45-55 record.
Twelve Pheasants batted in a seven-run eighth inning. Ridge Carpenter hit a two-run, game-tying single before Jared Bolden chopped a ball to the first baseman and evaded a tag to bring home the go-ahead run. Reggie Abercrombie capped the scoring with an RBI single to left field.
In the ninth inning, Carpenter again drove in two runs with a single. Brought in as a defensive replacement in the sixth, Carpenter finished 2-for-3 with four RBI.
Pheasants starter Mark Michael gave up six runs and six hits in four innings, but a relief trio of Tom Heithoff, Kyle Mertins (4-1) and Alan DeRatt combined to limit the Diablos to one run on three hits in the final five innings.
Mertins threw a scoreless seventh and eighth innings to earn the win and finished his season with a miniscule 1.00 ERA. DeRatt gave up a one-out hit in the ninth but induced a double play to end the game.
Abercrombie and Jake Taylor each contributed three hits to the Pheasants' 15-hit output.
The Pheasants had an early 2-1 lead on Cesar Nicolas' RBI single and Trevor Lawhorn's sacrifice fly, but El Paso strung together five runs off Michael in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Lawhorn failed to collect a hit in his final professional game, going 0-for-4 with an RBI. He and Joe Anthonsen end the season tied for second on the team's all-time hits list with 413, three shy of leader Felix Pagan.
Justin Harper (4-3) suffered the loss in relief.
American Association Stories from September 3, 2012
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- RailCats Win Season Finale 5-3, Finish .500 - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- American Association Game Recaps - AA
- Alen, Mazzola and Roberson Grab Year-End Awards - Winnipeg Goldeyes
- Pheasants Rally to Win Season Finale - Sioux Falls Canaries
- Diablos Drop Season Finale To Pheasants, Finish 47-53 - El Paso Diablos
- Kahaulelio Clinches Batting Title in Regular Season Finale - Wichita Wingnuts
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- Rusch Named Pitcher of the Week - Winnipeg Goldeyes
- Campbell, Herron Sweep August Awards - Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
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