News

FARGO, N.D. – Alex Caldera pitched six innings of two-hit baseball, while Zach Penprase and Todd Jennings had three hits apiece to pace the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks to their first home win of the season, 8-2, Monday, May 27, at Newman Outdoor Field.

“We dug ourselves a little hole and we’ve done this in the past," RedHawks Manager Doug Simunic said of the club’s first home victory of the 2013 season. “We’ve got to win series’ now – if we play like this it’s big. We have some guys swinging the bats now and everyone needs to contribute for wins which are important.”  

Fargo-Moorhead (3-8) came off a three-game losing streak by scoring the first six runs of the game before Sioux Falls (4-7) was able to get on the board.

Tim Alberts hit an RBI single in the first and Penprase drove in Ryan Pineda on an RBI double to right in the second to give the RedHawks an early 2-0 lead.

The ‘Hawks struck again in the fourth with two more runs. Jose Garcia hit a lead-off single to start the fourth and moved over to second, ending the threat of a double play while stealing on a Ryan Pineda ground out. With two outs, Jennings hit a double to score Garcia and Penprase followed with a line drive single up the middle to extend the lead to 4-0.

The four-run cushion was all RedHawks starter Caldera needed to improve his record to 2-1 on the year. Sioux Falls reached third base only once off Caldera in the third inning with one out, but Caldera struck out the next two Canaries to get out of the jam. He completed six innings of work, striking out six batters and walking one.

“When he’s got three pitches going he’s tough to hit,” RedHawks Manager Doug Simunic said of Caldera’s performance. “He pitched to the edge – just a good pro outing – he was crafty and stayed out of trouble.”

Penprase and Jennings led the RedHawks at the plate with three hits and two RBIs each. Tim Alberts, Garcia and Pineda picked up two hits and Keith Brachold crushed a two-run home run over the right-center  field fence in the sixth – his first of the season.  

Sioux Falls starter Jordan Whatcott dropped to 0-3 with the loss, pitching 4 2/3 innings and allowing six earned runs on 10 hits, two walks, with five strikeouts. Austin Brough gave up two earned runs in 2 1/3 innings of relief for the Canaries and Jack Van Leur pitched a scoreless ninth. Steve Domecus went 2-for-4 for Sioux Falls with a home run and John Alonso hit a solo home run in the ninth.

The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks continue their four-game series on Tuesday, May 28, at Newman Outdoor Field against the Canaries at 11 a.m. Tickets are available at fmredhawks.com or by calling (701) 235-6161.