Abercrombie’s Walkoff Homer Lifts Canaries Over RedHawks

SIOUX FALLS, SD -- Reggie Abercrombie hit a dramatic, three-run walkoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning on Wednesday night, capping a big comeback and hoisting the Sioux Falls Canaries to a 7-6 victory over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.

After losing a ninth inning lead and suffering a stinging loss Tuesday night, the Canaries seemed headed for their third straight defeat when they fell behind 6-0 after four innings. But the Birds erased the six-run deficit by scoring the final seven runs of the game.

Trailing 6-4 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, Nick Van Stratten led off with a single to center field. Cory Morales popped out, but Marcos Rodriguez drew a walk from reliever Chris Bodishbaugh, who was then lifted for Derrick Miramontes (2-2). Abercrombie followed by towering  a 1-1 pitch that landed in the left field party deck of Sioux Falls Stadium.

It was Abercrombie’s fourth home run with the Canaries this season and 51st in his Sioux Falls career, tying him for third all-time in team history with Brandon Sing.

Canaries starter Kyle Ruwe was in a deep hole early after Nic Jackson hit a two-run home run in the first inning and Ronnie Bourquin cleared the bases in the second with a three-run double.  In the fourth, Bourquin singled home another run for a 6-0 lead. Bourquin was 3-for-5 with four RBI.

But Canaries pitchers kept the RedHawks quiet after the fourth inning, permitting only one walk and one hit. Ruwe tossed scoreless fifth and sixth frames, and Jack Van Leur and Jordan Whatcott (2-6) combined to shut out the RedHawks over the final three innings. Whatcott earned his second relief win.

The Canaries clawed back into the contest by tallying single runs in each of the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings before the decisive ninth.

Van Stratten went 2-for-5 to extend a season-best hitting streak to 13 games, maintaining a season average of .345.

Tim Pahuta came up empty in four at-bats but had an RBI groundout in the sixth.  He remains one home run shy of matching the team and league record of 27. Wichita’s C.J. Ziegler collected his 27th home run Wednesday night, matching Brandon Sing’s mark set in 2010.

The rubber game of the three-game series is at 7:05 p.m. on Thrusday at Sioux Falls Stadium.

Courtesy:  Sioux Falls Canaries