SIOUX FALLS, SD -- The Sioux Falls Canaries finished up their six-game homestand on a high note Thursday night, as they rode the strong performances of two local players to a 4-3 win over the Amarillo Sox that went 11 innings.

Hartford native Sam Lind clinched the victory with a sacrifice fly in the 11th, while former Augustana pitcher and Willow Lake native Kye Winter held the Sox scoreless for the final three innings of the game in his Canaries debut.

“You can’t really be nervous in that situation,” said Winter. “You have to go out there and put up your zeroes.”

Sioux Falls (12-20) finished the successful homestand 4-2 and took both series they played in at the Birdcage. The win came in part thanks to a shining starting performance from pitcher Kyle Vazquez, who permitted a lone run on three hits through six innings. Vazquez left the game with his team up 2-1 before the Sox came back in the top of the eighth.

Canaries outfield Shelby Ford slapped the first runs of the game on the board in the third inning when he jumped on a 0-1 pitch from Amarillo starter Derek Blacksher and rocketed the ball over the right field fence, putting the home team up 2-0.

The two-run cushion held until the top of the sixth inning, when a double from Cory Patton off Vazquez chopped the lead in half.  Patton’s two-bagger nearly tied the game but a nice put-out at home plate starting with a throw from outfielder Lind made sure no more damage was done.

Amarillo finally got the hit they were looking for two innings later in the eighth, when they responded with a two-run homerun of their own from Perren to snatch the 3-2 lead.

Things looked to be heading to a close for the Canaries in the bottom of the ninth, but Kevin Dultz singled in Chris Duffy with two outs to knot things up at 3-3 later.

Fans waited nervously for two more innings before Lind finally ended the tense contest with his sac fly to right that sealed the 4-3 win.

“This league is a grind from what I can tell,” said Lind.  “Guys battle, and it’s the team that usually has the most will at the end of the game that wins. We did tonight.”

The Canaries will hit the road Friday to start a seven-game road trip beginning with a tilt against the Sioux City Explorers at 7:05 pm.

 

Sioux Falls Canaries vs Amarillo Sox, 06-19-2014
Sioux Falls Canaries
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Courtesy:  Sioux Falls Canaries

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