Oops! A Fish fumble

Enlarge Image

Goldeyes’ Mark Minicozzi got RedHawks’ Carlo Cota (11) out, but his attempt at a fourth-inning double play fell short. (KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

Enlarge Image

Goldeyes fans do the Macarena during a break in action. (KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS )

The Winnipeg Goldeyes closer overthrew first base for what would have been the final out of the game here Thursday night. If Homer makes the throw, the Goldeyes win an 8-7 10-inning thriller, take a 2-0 series lead and head home needing to win just one of the next three games at Canwest Park this weekend to advance to the Northern League Championship Series.

But Homer melted in the heat of the moment -- there's really no other way to describe it -- throwing well past Winnipeg first baseman Cody Ehlers. The ball sailed into right field, two Fargo runners scored and the Hawks had a 9-8 win, the Goldeyes had the longest three-hour bus ride of their lives and we, folks, got ourselves a series.

To his eternal credit, Homer took it like a man in the Fish clubhouse afterward. As his teammates shouted profanities at a pair of Winnipeg reporters, the Goldeyes reliever sat in his locker and took full responsibility on himself.

"I did exactly what you're not supposed to do," said Homer. "I picked up the ball, stood straight up and just threw the ball and it tailed away... instead of staying down on the ball and making a good throw."

It was a disastrous end for a man who looked like he was going to go down as one of the game's heroes. Homer had entered the game just moments earlier, arriving in the 10th inning with one out and Fargo runners at first and second.

He struck out the first batter, Zach Penprase, and appeared to have the next batter, Nic Jackson, struck out too on a 3-2 pitch that would also have ended the game.

But home plate umpire Reggie Jackson, who was awful all night long, called the pitch a ball, awarded Jackson first base and suddenly the bases were loaded with the Northern League regular season hitting leader, Jeremiah Piepkorn, coming to bat.

It was a classic playoff duel and Homer won as Piepkorn dribbled a grounder about halfway between the mound and the plate. Homer got to the ball in plenty of time, planted his feet and, well...

"It's tough. I feel for him," said Fish manager Rick Forney. "But championship teams have to make that play... I just hope this doesn't take too much momentum from us. We need some home cooking, some good support from our fans. Put some life back into us."

The best-of-five series now shifts back to Winnipeg with Game 3 set for tonight at Canwest Park. Game 4 is Saturday night. Game 5, if necessary, would be Sunday night.

The disastrous ending spoiled what was otherwise a huge effort by the Goldeyes, who rode a combination of small ball, long ball and a gutsy start by former big-leaguer Bill Pulsipher to the precipice of a 2-0 series lead.

And they looked to have it won in the top of the 10th inning when Ehlers -- inserted into the lineup just two innings earlier -- rewarded his manager's move by belting the go-ahead run over the right field fence.

It was worth remembering at night's end that this is still a Goldeyes club that got a series split in a very difficult place to play and now heads home with the advantage.

"We have all the momentum we need -- we're going home," said Goldeyes centre-fielder Cory Patton. "We're going to play in front of 8,000 fans every night. "

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

big juan plans to stay c6

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 4, 2009 C1