Canaries Lose Lead Three Times, Fall In Extras
LINCOLN, NE -- Curt Smith hit a walkoff, three-run home run in the bottom of the 12th inning, and the Lincoln Saltdogs beat the Sioux Falls Canaries 11-10 on Saturday night at Haymarket Park to even a three-game series at one game apiece.
Lincoln erased Canaries leads of 7-4, 8-7 and 10-8 to overcome the Canaries, tying the game in ninth and 11th innings before the fateful 12th. Brian Embery and Yasel Gomez started the 12th inning with back-to-back singles. Canaries reliever Kirk Clark (0-4) then struck out Mike Coles and David Espinosa before yielding Smith's two-out, two-strike blow.
The Canaries bullpen was unable to lock down the Saltdogs. Alan DeRatt entered the ninth with a 7-4 lead but gave up three runs to suffer his first blown save of the year. Matt Daly gave up a game-tying, leadoff home run to Ian Gac in the 11th to make it 8-8.
Tim Pahuta gave the Canaries a 10-8 lead with a two-run home run in the 12th inning, his league-leading 19th of the year.
P.J. Zocchi (5-0) earned the win in relief.
Six Canaries hitters had two-hit performances, while Gac and Matt Forgatch each had three hits for Lincoln.
The rubber-game of the three-game series is at 5:05 p.m on Sunday.
Courtesy: Sioux Falls Canaries