Hawks' big rally too little

The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks left Fargo Sunday night for a road game at Kansas City today. The 10-hour bus ride probably won't seem as long as the first two innings against Sioux Falls.

The Canaries scored seven runs in the first inning and four more in the second, held off a spirited F-M rally and earned a 13-11 Northern League victory at Newman Outdoor Field.

"When we were down 11-0, it was an uncomfortable feeling," RedHawks right fielder Steve Foley said.

The Canaries (7-8) salvaged the final game of the three-game series. The RedHawks (11-4) had their four-game winning streak snapped, but ended their nine-game homestand with a 7-2 record.

"There are no consolation prizes in baseball," RedHawks manager Doug Simunic said of his team's comeback bid. "But we showed good character. We didn't quit. We could have easily laid down, but we didn't do that. We made it a game and came up a little short. We have to put this behind us."

It was an ugly first inning for the home team.

The Canaries scored their first two runs when RedHawks starting pitcher Jay Reames hit Marc Mirizzi and walked Greg Schelhaas, both with the bases loaded. That set the tone.

Mirizzi later scored on a passed ball. Schelhaas came around on a wild pitch.

Sioux Falls catcher Danny Pinkerton, who reached on an error, scored when Reames' pick-off attempt to first base went down the right-field line. That made it 6-0.

Reames, who lasted just two outs in the inning, walked No. 9 hitter Joe Rhomberg before Tyrone Pendergrass capped the seven-run rally with an RBI single.

The vital statistics, when it was all said and done in the first inning: 11 batters, seven runs, three hits, two errors, a wild pitch, one hit by pitch, a passed ball and three walks.

The Canaries had 20 hitters come to the plate in the first two innings. Seven of the Canaries' first 11 runs were unearned.

"It's tough when you're out there in the field for a long time," Foley said.

"We had a hard time getting the game settled down," Simunic added.

The RedHawks, however, made the game interesting, scoring seven runs in the fourth inning and adding three more in the fifth. They cut the Sioux Falls lead to 11-10 after shortstop Brian Sprout drove in Ruben Salazar with an RBI single.

Brian Ward sparked the RedHawks seven-run fourth inning with a three-run double.

Ward finished 2-for-5 with four RBI on the afternoon.

"Simunic said our road trip starts now," Ward said. "We needed to put something together."

But Schelhaas added crucial runs with and two-run double in the eighth inning off RedHawks left-handed reliever Curtus Moak. They proved to be the winning runs.

"They didn't give up either," Ward said. "Those two runs they put up late in the game were huge."

The RedHawks start a three-game series today against the Kansas City T-Bones. After an off day, F-M returns home next Friday for three games against Gary before and long 14-game road trip to end the month.

"We have a big week coming up," Simunic said.

SIOUX FALLS REDHAWKS

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Pndrgrss cf 5 0 2 1 Mathis cf 4 1 1 1

Anderson lf 6 1 1 0 Salazar 3b 5 2 3 1

Pagan dh 4 2 1 0 Sprout ss 3 1 2 1

Wilson rf 3 3 1 0 Weber lf 5 1 1 2

Mirizzi ss 3 3 1 1 Gerald dh 4 1 1 1

Schlhs 1b 3 2 2 4 Rmfield 1b 4 1 2 0

Bush 3b 5 0 1 2 Foley rf 3 2 1 0

Pinkerton c 5 1 0 0 Ward 2b 5 2 2 4

Rhmbrg 2b 4 1 0 1 Argento c 5 0 0 0

Koziara p 0 0 0 0 Reames p 0 0 0 0

Holbrook p 0 0 0 0 Hooker p 0 0 0 0

Stoner p 0 0 0 0 Moak p 0 0 0 0

Dickinson p 0 0 0 0 Young p 0 0 0 0

Totals 38 13 9 9 38 11 13 10

Sioux Falls 740 000 020--13 9 3

RedHawks 000 730 010--11 13 3

E--Pendergrass (3), Mirizzi (2), Schelhaas (1). DP-- Sioux Falls 3. LOB--Sioux Falls 7, RedHawks 7. 2B--Mirizzi (3), Schelhaas (4), Salazar (3), Rumfield (5) Ward (6). CS--Gerald (2).

IP H R ER BB SO

Sioux Falls

Koziara 4 9 9 9 2 2

Holbroook W,1-0 2Zc 3 1 1 0 1

Stoner 1Xc 1 1 0 1 0

Dickinson S,4 1 0 0 0 1 0

RedHawks

Reames L,0-2 Xc 2 7 2 3 1

Hooker 6Xc 6 6 4 3 2

Moak 0 1 0 0 0 0

Young 1Xc 0 0 0 0 3

WP--Koziara (1), Reames (4). HPB--Mirizzi (by Reames), Sprout (by Koziara), Rumfield (by Koziara), Sprout (by Koziara), Hooker (by Pendergrass), Hooker (by Wilson). PB--Argento.

Umpires--Home: John Sahlberg, First: Richard Katz, Third: Reggie Jackson. Time--3:10. A--3,638.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Eric Peterson at (701) 241-5513