Goldeyes end home stand on high note

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This article was published 24/06/2024 (498 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After dropping the past five games, the Winnipeg Goldeyes ended their home stand on a high note.

In the losing streak, the Goldeyes did not score more than three runs in a game. However, on Sunday, their bats came alive with the Fish finally managing to back their strong pitching staff with a needed showing of offence in a 5-2 win against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks at Blue Cross Park.

The Goldeyes dropped the series but avoided back-to-back series sweeps in front of 3,117 fans.

“Obviously going 4-5 on the homestead wasn’t ideal, especially when we started 3-0,” said manager Logan Watkins. “It’s part of baseball, there’s gonna be ups and downs, times where we get cold. Kind of a tough week there for a little but good to win this one.”

Starting pitcher Landon Bourassa made his 200th professional career strikeout in the first inning, following the achievement up with seven total strikeouts and allowing six hits in six innings pitched.

“Good starting pitching again,” said Watkins. “Landon Bourassa was great. And then we finally cashed in on some runs. Felt like over the course of that losing streak, we kept hitting the guys in scoring position and just weren’t getting that big hit to score them.”

The Goldeyes put up eight hits in the game, including six hits against RedHawks starting pitcher Kolby Kiser in five innings pitched.

The Fish got on the board early, with left-fielder Roby Enríquez driving in centre-fielder Miles Simington for an early 1-0 lead at the bottom of the second.

The lead was quickly spoiled by RedHawks third baseman C.J. Valdez, who shot a two-run home run over the left boards to start the third inning and take a 2-1 lead.

But designated hitter Jake McMurray did not let the game fall away from his team this time, sending his own rocket over the left boards to tie the game at the bottom of the third.

“Always good to take some momentum into the road trip,” said McMurray. “Especially after the last week and a half kind of gave a bad rep for us. So it’s good for us to get the win for Landon (Bourassa) today.”

From there, the Goldeyes held their own, with Enríquez driving in right-fielder Max Murphy at the Botton of the fourth to take the lead once again.

Runs by Keshawn Lynch and Andy Armstrong in the seventh inning solidified a victory for the Fish.

“We had some good team at-bats the whole game,” said McMurray. It manufactured a couple of runs early in the game… I think we’re going to be clicking here, hopefully pretty soon.”

Ben Onyshko and Nick Trogrlic-Iverson were the relieving pitchers for the Fish, neither allowing any runs to help the team get the much-needed win.

The Goldeyes recovered to .500 on the season with a 20-20 record, while the West Division-leading RedHawks fell to 24-15.

The Goldeyes start a nine-day road trip Tuesday against the Chicago Dogs at 7 p.m.

“We gotta win the next series,” said Watkins. “Good to win this one, but we need to win the series each time we go out.”

zoe.pierce@freepress.mb.ca