Sioux Falls Canaries Can’t Complete Comeback, Fall 6-5 to Sioux City

Jake Taylor hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to bring the Sioux Falls Canaries within one, but the Birds couldn't complete the comeback in the late innings, as they fell 6-5 to the Sioux City Explorers on Sunday afternoon.

Starter Ray Hanson labored through his start, tossing 5.1 innings, giving up six runs on 11 hits and only struck out two.

The Canaries jumped out to an early lead. Darwin Perez roped a one-out triple to the gap in left, then came in to score on a Blake Schmit sacrifice fly to put the Birds up early 1-0. However, that would be the only lead the Canaries would enjoy for the rest of the game.

The X’s responded in the second. Back-to-back singles led off the inning for Sioux City, then two runs scored on a triple to right by Brendan Slattery to push the X’s out in front 2-1.

Sioux City added three more runs in the third. Derrick Robinson and Michael Lang led off with back-to-back singles. LeVon Washington brought home Robinson with a double, advancing Lang to third, making it a 3-1 game. Tim Colwell singled to bring home Lang, pushing the lead to 4-1. Washington scored on a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 5-1.

The Canaries mounted a comeback in the fifth. Cameron Monger led off with a single, then scooted all the way around to third on a throwing error on a Ozney Guillen grounder, putting runners at second and third. Monger then came home to score the Birds’ second run of the day on a Michael Falsetti groundout.

Jake Taylor cut the lead to one in the sixth. Perez led off the inning with a ground rule double, then advanced to third on a David Bergin groundout. Taylor then hit a towering homer over the wall in left to cut the deficit to 5-4.

The X’s added an extra run in the sixth. Brenden Slattery hit a one-out single, then an error on Hanson allowed Ralph Henriquez to reach, putting runners at first and second. Tommy Mendonca drove in Slattery with a sharp single to center, pushing the Sioux City lead to two at 6-4.

The Canaries’ best chance to complete the comeback came in the seventh. The Canaries loaded the bases. Schmit came to the plate with two away, and hit a weak grounder to third. The third baseman bobbled the ball, allowing everyone to reach safely, and the fifth run to score to cut the deficit to 6-5. Unfortunately, Bergin struck out to end the frame and ended the threat. The Canaries were put down in order in the eighth and ninth innings to deny any chance for a comeback for Sioux Falls.