Bird Cage Special: Railroaders Scrap Past Canaries to Clinch Series
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (June 9, 2021) – In a three-hour, 53-minute marathon that featured 28 combined runs on 32 hits, the Cleburne Railroaders held on for a 16-12 win over the Sioux Falls Canaries on Wednesday night at Sioux Falls Stadium.
The Railroaders (10-10) surged to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. A throwing error from Zane Gurwitz plated the first run, then a sacrifice fly from Ramon Hernandez combined with a throwing error by Mike Hart added two more in the inning.
Jabari Henry got the Canaries (11-9) on the board in the bottom of the inning with a long solo home run, making the score 3-1.
A sacrifice fly from Tyler Ryan and a run-scoring single from Ozzie Martinez scored two more for Cleburne in the top of the second, but Sioux Falls answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning to inch within 5-4.
The Railroaders seized control back with a five-spot in the fourth inning. Three straight singles started the frame, then Hernandez and Noah Vaughan ripped back-to-back doubles to extend the lead to 9-4. Grant Buck capped the inning with an RBI single.
Ryan lined a solo home run to start the fifth, then Alay Lago drilled a triple and raced home on a wild pitch to push the Railroaders lead to 12-4. Lago finished the night 4-for-5, falling a home run short of the cycle.
Sioux Falls began the comeback in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run home run from Trey Michaelczewski, then Mitch Glasser connected for a solo shot in the sixth that sliced the Cleburne edge to 12-7.
After a Zach Nehrir two-run double in the top of the seventh gave Cleburne a seven-run lead at 14-7, the Canaries scored five in the bottom of the eighth, highlighted by a three-run double from Jabari Henry.
Buck was at the heart of another Railroaders rally in the top of the ninth, singling home one run before executing a double steal along with Vaughan to score another as Cleburne pushed the advantage to 16-12.
Kyle Chavez was the hero out of the Railroaders bullpen, recording the final out of the eighth and then pitching around a leadoff single in the ninth to earn his first save of the season. Garrett Alexander (2-2) picked up the win for Cleburne, going 5.2 innings with four strikeouts. Angel Ventura (2-2) took the loss for Sioux Falls, allowing 12 hits and 10 runs over four innings of work.
The Railroaders and Canaries conclude the series on Thursday night at 7:05. Austin Fairchild (0-2, 3.52) starts for Cleburne, while Sioux Falls counters with fellow right-hander Eddie Medina (1-1, 7.54).
For information on partnerships, season tickets, group outings, and party packages, call the Railroaders main office at (817) 945-8705, or visit the Railroaders official website at www.railroaderbaseball.com.