American Association fans have come to expect high-scoring games in the Bird Cage, but the team took that act on the road Thursday night as the Sioux Falls Canaries outlasted the Chicago Dogs, 17-14. Ryan Long’s three-run double in the 12th won it for Sioux Falls as the two teams combined for 31 runs, 30 hits, and 21 walks in the extra-inning affair. Kurt Heyer earned the victory with three outstanding innings of relief.

This game actually had the makings of solid pitchers’ duel, as Tyler Herron squared off against J.D. Busfield, however, that was far from the reality. The Dogs took the lead in the bottom of the first when Edwin Arroyo singled with one down, moved to second on a ground out, and scored on a clutch two-out single off the bat of K.C. Hobson.

The Canaries responded with eight runs in the top of the second. A walk to American Association Player of the Week Damek Tomscha and back-to-back singles by Clint Coulter and Mike Hart loaded to bases with no one out. A passed ball allowed Tomscha to score. Logan Landon then reached on an error and another passed ball brought home Coulter. Long drew a walk to reload the bases and that was it for Busfield.

Casey Crosby came on and was greeted with a single by K.C. Huth, bringing home two. Andrew Ely walked and Jabari Henry followed with a double that brought home two more runs. Ely and Henry both scored on a double by Alay Lago. Casey then struck out Tomscha and Coulter before getting Hart to ground out.

Down but clearly not out, the Dogs bit into that lead with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Michael Crouse led off with a double and scored on a Tony Rosselli single two batters later.

In the bottom of the third, Chicago added three more runs to pull within three. With one down, Joey Terdoslavich singled and he came all the way around to score on a triple by Hobson. Hobson scored when Tyler Ladendorf followed with a double and Victor Roache plated Ladendorf with a two out single. That made it 8-5.

In the fourth, Hobson tied the score with one swing of the bat. Kevin Folman took over for Herron and immediately walked Ryan Haug and Blake Allemand. He retired the next two batters, but Hobson turned on a 1-1 pitch, blasting it over the right field wall for his first homer of the season, tying the score at eight.

Neither team scored in the fifth, but the Canaries jumped back on top in the sixth. A walk by Ely and a single by Henry put two on with no one out. Lago then lined a single up the middle that brought Ely around to score. After Tomscha moved both runners over on a ground out, Coulter brought home the pair on a fielder’s choice. He scored on a Hart double to make it 12-8.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Dogs rallied to pull within one. Crouse singled to start the inning and Roache followed with a towering drive to left-center for his first homer of the season. Rosselli followed with a double, then Haug was hit by a pitch and Blake Allemand walked to load the bases. Terdoslavich drew a walk two batters later to drive home Haug and the bases were still loaded with only one out. However, Ryan Fritze settled down, getting Hobson to popout before striking out Ladendorf to end the inning.

Each team added runs in the eighth. Long delivered an RBI single and Huth hit a sacrifice fly to give the Canaries a three-run lead. However, in the bottom half of the frame, Allemand hit his second homerun of the season, a three-run blast to tie the score at 14.

After 28 runs were scored through the first eight innings, neither team could seem to muster any offense over the next three frames. That sent the game to the 12th where Long would win it. With one down, Tomscha was hit by a pitch and Coulter doubled to left field, moving Tomscha to third. Hart was then intentionally walked to load the bases. Jalen Miller was in trouble, but he struck out Landon and it looked like he may escape. That was not meant to be as Long drilled a 1-0 pitch to the wall, bringing all three runners around to score. That made it 17-14, which would be the final.

Heyer (1-0) earned the victory, tossing three outstanding innings of relief. Heyer allowed one hit and four walks. Miller had tossed three outstanding innings of relief before the 12th. He took the loss.

Long finished 2-6 with a run and four RBI. Huth had two hits and three RBI and Lago added two hits and three RBI as well. Hobsoon had three hits, two runs scored, and five RBI for Chicago. Roache and Allemand each drove in three runs as well.

Boxscore

By Robert Pannier