Memphis Redbirds fall to Salt Lake, 5-3, in extra innings

Mike O’Neill got the crowd going when he tied the game with a  bunt single in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extras. However, the Redbirds could not hold that momentum as they would fall to the Salt Lake Bees in 12 innings by a score of 5-3.

The Bees opened the scoring in the top of the third to take a 1-0 lead but the Redbirds would tie it at 1 when Greg Garcia connected with an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth. The lead would be extended to 2-1 when Xavier Scruggs added a run-scoring single in the bottom of the sixth.

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Memphis (23-26) allowed two runs in the top of the eighth, putting the Redbirds in a 3-2 deficit that would last until O’Neill’s bunt that brought Rafael Ortega home in the bottom of the ninth to make it 3-3 and send the contest to extras. The Redbirds would fail to capitalize after a two-run home run by the Bees’ Kyle Kubitza in the top of the twelfth.

Zach Petrick, the starter for the Redbirds, pitched six solid innings in the game. He surrendered seven hits, but only one run with four strikeouts. Heath Wyatt came in to pitch the first two outs of the seventh inning, getting a strikeout in the process.

Justin Wright would finish out the seventh, before leaving without recording an out in the eighth. He was charged with two runs on one hit in his 1 1/3 innings of work.

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Miguel Socolovich pitched the eighth and ninth innings and only gave up one hit, but that one hit scored a runner left over from Wright – proving to be the go-ahead run, leading to Socolovich being tagged for a blown save.

Dean Kiekhefer came in to pitch an effective 10th inning, giving up only one hit and having a strikeout. Keith Butler pitched the eleventh and twelfth innings, and was credited for the loss giving up three hits, two runs, and having two strikeouts.

Next for the Redbirds is game two of four against the Bees tonight. Nick Greenwood will be the starter for the Redbirds. It is still to be determined who will oppose him for the Bees. First pitch is set for 6:05 CT.

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