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The Sioux Falls Canaries (4-5) took an early lead on Saturday evening, but ultimately couldn’t finish the job, falling to the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (2-7) by the final score of 6-4 in front of 2,714 fans at Sioux Falls Stadium. 

The Canaries got off to a fast start in the top of the second inning as R.J. Perucki singled down the right field line to drive in Jason Repko, who earlier reached on a walk with one out in the inning. Jerome Pena also singled in the top of the third and scored on Richard Stock’s first homerun of the season. The two run blast gave the Birds’, and starting pitcher Shawn Blackwell a 3-0 lead.

Blackwell (0-2, 2.46 ERA) allowed five runs on eight hits in his 6 innings of work, but was knocked out of the game in the top of the seventh inning after the RedHawks posted four runs on three hits. The Canaries let down Blackwell committing two errors, allowing the RedHawks to battle back in the inning.

Mike Watt recently signed with the Canaries, and he shut the door on the RedHawks in the seventh, recording a strikeout to wrap up a quick 1-2-3 inning. A bases loaded walk from Zach Penprase added the insurance run in the eighth inning. Ty Kelley came on in the ninth, fanned two and earned his first save of the 2015 season. 

Fargo starting pitcher, Bryan Blough (1-1, 8.68 ERA) picked up his first win of the season after holding the Birds’ to just three runs on five hits over five innings of work. Blough found his groove in the fourth and fifth frames, and at one point retired seven Canaries in a row during those innings.

The Birds’ have now dropped two straight to Fargo-Moorhead and fall to 4-5 on the season. Fargo-Moorhead puts together it's first winning streak of the season as they have won the last two. On Sunday with Canaries LHP Joe Bircher (1-0, 3.00 ERA) toeing the rubber for the Birds’. 2013 American Association Pitcher of the Year Taylor Stanton will be on the hill for the RedHawks looking for his first win of the season. 

First pitch on Sunday is scheduled as a late matinee, with a 4:05 p.m. start time. As always, tune in on 740 AM The Fan, and listen to Scott Miller and Jack "Track it Down" Michaels, the voices of the RedHawks. The two teams will wrap up the four game series on Monday night before the RedHawks return to Fargo-Moorhead for a six game homestand.