Moore Masterful In Complete-Game Win

SIOUX CITY, IA -- Ben Moore threw a complete-game masterpiece on Sunday evening to lead the Sioux Falls Canaries to a 7-2 defeat of the Sioux City Explorers and a rubber-game victory.

The Canaries (4-6) won their first series of the year after facing Sioux City (5-5) in seven of their first 10 games.

Moore (2-1) scattered just five hits and allowed two runs, one earned, while logging his 10th career complete game with Sioux Falls. During one stretch from the fourth to seventh innings of the speedy two-hour-and-10-minute game, Moore retired 11 consecutive batters. He needed just 97 pitches total.

Down 1-0 after one inning, Sioux Falls took the lead for good in the third inning. Anthony Trajano and Kevin Dultz started the frame with back-to-back singles. When reliever Josh Rainwater made a throwing error on Nick Van Stratten's sacrifice bunt, Trajano scored to tie game.  Moments later Cory Morales singled home Dultz for a 2-1 lead.

The Canaries padded their lead in the sixth. J.P. Ramirez, who entered the game leading the league with seven doubles, led off with a two-bagger. Jared Clark legged out an infield hit, and Tim Pahuta followed with an RBI double. Steve Domecus then added a sacrifice fly for a 4-1 lead. Ramirez now has at least one extra-base hit in eight of ten games played.

A Jake Taylor error in the seventh inning allowed a Sioux City run, but the Birds rallied for three more runs in the ninth. Van Stratten belted a two-run triple, and Morales knocked him home for his second RBI of the game.

Josh Rainwater (1-2), normally a starting pitcher for Sioux City, took the loss. He relieved starter Richard Salazar to begin the third inning and tossed five innings of relief. Salazar made his first start of the year after beginning the season on the inactive list.

Moore, normally a strikeout and ground ball pitcher, induced 15 outs in the air while striking out just four and lowering his season ERA to 2.46. He did not walk anybody, and he has yet to issue a base on balls after 22 innings of work this year.

Dultz and Morales each had three hits to lead a 13-hit output by the Birds. Morales and Van Stratten each had two RBI.

The Canaries begin a four-game series with their division rival, the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks,at 5 p.m. on Monday in Fargo, N.D.

Courtesy:  Sioux Falls Canaries