Sioux Falls Canaries Down Stockade 15-1 in Back-to-Back Nights
A night after scoring 12-runs in the seventh to down the Salina Stockade 15-1, the Sioux Falls Canaries spread out the runs, yet still came up with the same double-digit number to make 30-runs in two games. Troy Marks tossed seven outstanding innings and Aaron Gretz hit his first home run of the season while driving in five to lead the Canaries to victory. Five Stockade errors also helped.
After Marks tossed a scoreless top half of the first, the Canaries scored three in the bottom half of the inning. Jabari Henry and Blake Schmit led off with back-to-back singles, and Gretz took a 1-1 offering from Taylor Thurber and drilled it for his first homer of the year.
In the second, the lead would become six. Thurber retired the first two hitters of the inning, but Brett Marr kept it alive with a base hit and stole second before Henry walked. Next up was Schmit, who lined a single up the middle to score Marr and Henry came home on a wild pitch with Gretz at the plate. The Canaries catcher then singled to bring home Schmit to make it 6-0.
In the fourth, the Stockade would finally get on the board. Troy Paris singled to start the inning and moved to second when Jimmy Heck walked two batters later. Paris then stole third and came home when the catcher’s throw went into left field.
The Canaries responded with four-runs in the bottom half of the inning. Marr singled to start the inning and Henry was hit by a pitch. Schmit singled to score Marr and Gretz grounded into a fielder’s choice that brought home Henry, the fifth run that Gretz plated in the game. Chris Jacobs singled to move Gretz to second, before Ty Morrison walked to load the bases. Michael Falsetti then flew out the left, but an error by the left fielder allowed both runners to come home. That made it 10-1.
In the fifth, Sioux Falls extended their lead. Marr reached on an error with one down and moved to second when Henry singled into right. Schmit was hit by a pitch and Henry scored on an error by the shortstop. Marr came home on a base hit by Jacobs and Morrison brought home the third run of the inning with a base hit. That made it 13-1.
Two more runs came across in the eighth to finish out the scoring. Three straight singles by Motl, Marr, and Henry loaded the bases with no one out. Schmit delivered the fourth straight hit, scoring Motl and a wild pitch brought home Marr. That made it 15-1, which would be the final.
Troy Marks (2-4) went 7-innings for Sioux Falls, allowing 3-hits, 2-walks and an unearned run. He struck out 6. Blake Schmit followed up his 2-hit, 5-RBI performance on Friday night by going 4-5 with 3-runs and 3-RBI. Aaron Gretz was 2-5 with 2-runs scored and 5-RBI. Jabari Henry had 3-hits and scored 4-runs.
By Robert Pannier
