Kieran Mattison continued his success at home pitching 6.2 innings, allowing only five hits, and three runs walking four and striking out eight but the bullpen couldn’t hold on as they gave up four runs in the eighth to lose to Sioux Falls 7-4. The Canaries starter Jino Gonzalez matched Mattison by also going 6.2 innings allowing nine hits, four runs, walking one and striking out three.
Grand Prairie got on the board early in the first when Brandon Carter gapped a double into right and stole second before Cesar Nicolas doubled him home for his forty first RBI of the season to give the AirHogs the early 1-0 lead.
Sioux Falls would take the lead in the third when Kyle Eveland lined a single into left field. Ken Lup then doubled off the wall to put runners at first and third with no outs. Jared Lemeiux was hit by the pitch to load the bases. Joe Anthonson grounded into a fielders choice beating the throw at first allowing a run to score to knot the game at one. Cory Harris followed by blooping an RBI single into right to give the Canaries their first lead of the game at 2-1.
The AirHogs answered back in the fourth when Chad Gabriel lined a single up the middle to start the inning. Ron Fenwick followed by perfectly executing a hit and run moving Gabriel up to third. Drew Holder then lifted a sacrifice fly into deep left field to score Gabriel and tie the score at two.
In the fifth the Canaries would use small ball to retake the lead as Ken Lup walked to start off the fifth and Jared Lemieux sacrifice-bunted him to second. Tim Hutting singled to left to score Lup giving them the 3-2 lead. The AirHogs would once again tie the game in the bottom half of the frame on Cesar Nicolas’ sixth homerun of the season. The AirHogs would then retake the lead in the seventh as Drew Holder hit only his second homerun of the year to break the 3-3 tie.
However in the very next inning the Canaries would put the AirHogs away for good as they scored four runs in the eighth. Trevor Lawhorn walked and was sacrificed to second by Patrick Reilly before J.D. Reininger doubled him home to tie the game at four. Kyle Eveland singled to right to put runners at the corners. Ken Lup then walked to load the bases. Jared Lemieux followed by grounding out to first scoring Reilly to give the Canaries the lead back at 5-4. Tim Hutting then came through with a single up the middle and score two more runs to push the lead to three.
That would be all Sioux Falls needed as closer Kris Regas picked up his fifteenth save of the year to tie for the league lead.
AirHogs third basemen Cesar Nicolas went 3-4 with a homerun, and two RBI in the contest while centerfielder Drew Holder was 1-3 with a homerun and 2 RBIs as well. For the Canaries, third basemen Kyle Eveland went 2-4 with a run score and shortstop Tim Hutting was also 2-4 with three runs batted in. Andrew Pluta picked up the win for the Canaries while Cody Crowell was slapped with his second loss of the season.
