CLEBURNE – The Sioux Falls Canaries fell in their series opener to the Cleburne Railroaders 9-7 at The Depot Friday night. Wyatt Ulrich extended his American Association-best hit streak to 21 straight games with a double in the first inning and a two-RBI single in the eighth.

Tyler Garkow (1-4) suffered the loss for the Canaries on the mound after allowing eight runs in five innings of work. Jesus Sanchez (1-0) earned the win after limiting the Canaries to four runs in five innings.

Jabari Henry struck first for the Canaries, bringing home Ulrich with an RBI double in the opening inning. The RBI was Henry’s 16th in the last 11 games. Ulrich has now reached base in 25 straight games.

The Railroaders batted around in the second to open a 4-1 lead. Troy Alexander highlighted the fourth with a solo blast, his second of the season and first since returning from a six-week stint on the inactive list as the result of a fractured hand. His homer helped the Birds draw level at 4-4.

In the fifth, the Railroaders exploded for four more runs, including two on an inside-the-park home run by Hunter Clanin. The home squad added one more in the sixth vs. reliever Charlie Hasty. A two-RBI double by Ulrich cut the deficit to two in the eighth before the Birds stranded the bases loaded. Tyler Wilson earned his fourth save of the season with a scoreless ninth.

The Birds (18-21) return to The Depot to meet the Railroaders (21-19) in the second contest in the three-game series Saturday. First pitch is slated for 7:06 pm. RHP Angel Ventura (3-4, 6.80 ERA) is expected to start for the Canaries. LHP Austin Fairchild (2-3, 4.50 ERA) is expected to start for the Railroaders. A live broadcast of the game will be available via Fox Sports 98.1 FM.

The Canaries return home for a seven-game homestand starting July 6 vs. Kansas City. First pitch is slated for 7:05 pm. For more information on the Canaries, follow the team on Twitter @canaries. To purchase tickets and for all other team information, visit sfcanaries.com. Media contact: joey@sfcanaries.com.

By Joey Zanaboni, Sioux Falls Canaries