CANARIES POUND CATS, 11-4

Fort Worth, TX – The Sioux Falls Canaries (2-2) pounded out 11 runs on 18 hits in an 11-4 win over the Fort Worth Cats (2-2). Kennard Bibbs went three-for-three with a double, an RBI, three runs scored, and three walks, to lead the Birds in the victory.

The Canaries opened the scoring in the top of the third inning. Kennard Bibbs drew a lead-off walk and advanced to third on a single by Will Smith. After a walk to Grant Richardson loaded the bases, a sacrifice fly by Josh Patton plated Bibbs for a 1-0 lead. Ben Van Iderstine followed with an RBI single through the left side, scoring Smith, and giving the Canaries a 2-0 lead.

The Birds extended their lead in the fifth. Richardson and Patton got on base with back-to-back singles. Van Iderstine followed with a double to bring Richardson home and put the Canaries ahead by three, 3-0. Beau Torbert followed with a single that one-hopped the wall in centerfield. Patton scored on the play, but Van Iderstine was thrown out at the plate. Torbert took second on the throw to the plate, and later scored on a triple by Patrick Reilly. After four and a half innings, the Birds were in front 5-0.

Fort Worth answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth. John Allen led off with a solo home run, his first of the year. Following Allen’s homer, Steve Butler doubled, and Osiel Flores singled to score him. Later in the inning, Flores scored on a double by Nelson Teilon. The Cats scored three runs on four hits in the inning to pull back within two runs, 5-3.

The Canaries scored again in the sixth. Bibbs walked and Hutting was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base. Bibbs and Hutting moved up 90 feet following a wild pitch, and with the runners on second and third, Smith hit a sacrifice fly to score Bibbs for a 6-3 lead. Patton followed with a ground ball to the second baseman, Willie James misplayed the ball allowing Patton to reach and Hutting to score. Hutting’s run put the Canaries ahead by four, 7-3.

The Cats got one back in the bottom of the sixth. Aaron Sisk walked and scored on a double by John Allen, but that would be the last run the Cats scored. After six innings, the Canaries led, 7-4.

The Birds added four more runs in the game, scoring three in the seventh and one in the eighth. In the seventh, the Canaries got one run on a double by Bibbs and two more on a double by Smith. In the eighth, the Birds got the final run of the game on a single by Reilly, in the 11-4 final.

Ben Moore (1-0) pitched five innings allowing three runs on four hits to get the win. Ryan Riddle (0-1) suffered the loss for Fort Worth.
*Courtesy: Sioux Falls Canaries