Canaries Drop Fourth Straight in One Run Loss to RailCats

SIOUX FALLS, SD -- A big night from first baseman Chase Burch wasn’t enough for the Sioux Falls Canaries as they dropped a back-and-fourth 5-4 game to the Gary SouthShore RailCats at the Birdcage Tuesday night.

Burch went 1-for-3 with a homerun and two RBIs for the Canaries while starting pitcher Ben Moore threw 6.1 innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out four along the way.

The defeat is the Canaries’ fourth straight and is the second consecutive one-run loss for the club.

“We came out knowing what these guys were about,” said rightfielder Steve Tinoco.  “We knew we had to take it to them, but they’re a scrappy team and they get the base hits when they need them.”

The RailCats opened the scoring in the first with a one-run single by Wally Backman, but the Canaries would respond in their half with two runs a single by Brandon Jones and sac fly by Burch, respectively.

A single by RailCats outfielder Justin Gominsky tied the game at two, though Sioux Falls would retort yet again with a monster shot by Burch that flew over the left field fence, his first homerun of the season and gave the Birds a 3-2 lead.

Two Gary runs in the top of the seventh gave the RailCats their first lead of the game, the first coming on a triple by Drew Martinez.  The tie was snapped by a single from Daniel Pulfer that went just past the glove of shortstop Stephen Branca, making it 4-3.

Canary centerfielder Chris Valencia brought Sioux Falls up to 4-4 with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning, but a single by Gary’s Jeremy Hamilton would clinch the contest in the top of the eighth.

Kevin Brahney closed out of the bottom of the ninth for the RailCats, who swept the two-game series.

“I’m pretty sure a lot of us have the early-bird jitters just because we are six games into the season,” said Tinoco.   “We have a great team here. We just have to stick with it.”

The Canaries will now head on the road to face the St. Paul Saints at 7:05 pm Wednesday in St. Paul.

Courtesy:  Sioux Falls Canaries