FARGO-The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks got slammed in the ninth inning Wednesday night at Newman Outdoor Field.
Grand Prairie AirHogs catcher Zane Chavez smacked a grand slam that sparked an eight-run ninth inning. That big inning vaulted the AirHogs to a 15-7 victory in American Association baseball before a sellout crowd of 4,426 fans.
"They've got to execute and make pitches," RedHawks manager Doug Simunic said of his pitchers. "We constantly preach to them when there are men on base, you have to make pitches. ... For some reason the ball finds the big part of the plate and the ball gets hit."
The RedHawks (22-40) were playing their first home game since July 12 after posting a 6-5 record on an 11-game road trip to New Jersey and New York.
Grand Prairie scored 10 runs in its final two at-bats Wednesday to secure the victory in the first game of a three-game series. The AirHogs hit two home runs in the ninth inning and finished with 21 hits.
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Grand Prairie scored its first run in the ninth inning on a throwing error to take an 8-7 lead.
"We tie the game and we turn around and make an error," said Simunic, whose team committed four errors on Wednesday. "We made way too many errors."
The AirHogs extended their lead to 14-7 after Chavez belted a grand slam over the wall in right field in the ninth. Two batters later, Victor Diaz hit a solo home run to center field for a 15-7 advantage.
The RedHawks (22-40) had rallied for three runs in the eighth inning to erase a 7-4 deficit. They took advantage of two Grand Prairie errors in the eight. F-M shortstop Zach Penprase capped the rally, knocking in a run on a fielder's choice to tie the score 7-7 heading into the ninth inning.
"They were throwing it all around and gave it to us," Simunic said. "They wanted us to win the game, but we do just stupid things, just idiotic stuff. That's pitiful."
NOTES: Left-hander Tyler Alexander (0-4, 3.00 ERA) is scheduled to start today for the RedHawks. Grand Prairie is expected to counter with right-hander Blake Oliver (5-5, 4.30 ERA). ... The RedHawks have their Military Appreciation night today at Newman Outdoor Field. Country music legend Lee Greenwood is scheduled to make a special appearance. ... The RedHawks signed left-handed pitcher Nick Cooney prior to Wednesday's game against Grand Prairie. Cooney, 22, recently finished his collegiate career at NCAA Division III Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. As a senior, Cooney had an 8-2 record with a 2.73 ERA. ... Wednesday's crowd of 4,426 fans was the fifth home sellout for F-M this season.
