Canaries Pound Saltdogs, Tie Team Records In Series Opener

SIOUX FALLS, SD -- The Sioux Falls Canaries matched a team record with three home runs and 10 runs in one inning on Saturday night, cruising to an 11-5 victory over the Lincoln Saltdogs at Sioux Falls Stadium.

The Canaries won the opener of the four-game series before 3,325 fans, and they have won five of their last six games.

Trailing 3-0, the Canaries (18-30) sent 15 men to the plate, cracked 11 hits -- including three home runs – and plated 10 runs. Every man in the lineup scored a run.  J.P. Ramirez’ two-run home run gave the Birds a lead for good, and it was the front end of back-to-back long balls with Jared Clark.  Nate Baumann later homered for his second round-tripper in as many games. Sioux Falls last scored 10 runs in one inning on May 26, 2007 at St. Paul.

Every Canaries starter had at least one hit. Nick Van Stratten was 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI, while Kevin Dultz, Cory Morales and Marcos Rodriguez each had two-hit performances.  Van Stratten tripled in the eighth inning and scored on a groundout, matching a single-season team record with nine triples.

Mitchell Clegg (3-2) posted his second consecutive quality start and earned his second straight win as the Canaries turned to a four-man starting rotation. He held Lincoln to three runs on six hits in six innings, walking two and striking out three.

The long third inning made it a short outing for former big-leaguer Mike Burns (2-3). Burns yielded all 10 runs in the frame, lasting just 2 1/3 innings in the loss.

Lincoln (26-22) scored two inconsequential runs in the ninth inning before Kyle Vazquez recorded the final out. Reliever Chris Allen made his Sioux Falls debut and struck out the side in the seventh, and Jordan Whatcott tossed a perfect eighth.

Game two of the series will be at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday at Sioux Falls Stadium.

Courtesy:  Sioux Falls Canaries