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WINNIPEG, MB – Behind the arm of Tyler Alexander, the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks staved off a rally from the Winnipeg Goldeyes and held on for a 5-3 win before 4,822 spectators on Saturday evening at Shaw Park.

It was the RedHawks who got on the board first. With two outs in the second inning, Luke Bailey singled off of Winnipeg starter Matt Jackson extending his hitting streak to nine games. Charlie Valerio would then single up the middle advancing Bailey to second followed by an RBI single to right from Michael Wing giving Fargo-Moorhead an early 1-0 lead.

Holding an early lead, Hawks starter Tyler Alexander retired the first eight batters he faced until James Boddicker laced a single up the middle with two outs in the third. Four of the first eight outs recorded by the left-hander were via the strikeout.

The two teams would exchange long balls in the fourth. Joe Bonfe took the first pitch from Jackson and laced it down the line in left just fair for a solo shot making it 2-0 RedHawks. In the home half of the inning, Alexander struck out the first two batters he faced bringing Casey Haerther to the dish. Haerther sent a fastball over the middle half of the plate over the fence in left giving the Goldeyes their first run of the game making it 2-1 after four innings.

Fargo-Moorhead would tack on a run in the fifth. Wing would walk to start and then proceeded to steal second. Ryan Pineda sent a double to the alley in left plating Wing giving the ‘Hawks a 3-1 advantage.

Drew Muren came into today’s game with an eight game hit streak, but he stepped to the plate in the seventh without a hit. With Zach Penprase on first and Wing on second, Muren sliced a ball opposite field to the corner scoring two and making it 5-1 Fargo-Moorhead while extending his hitting streak to nine games.

With the four run lead, Alexander cruised along. He had already tossed two complete games, going 1-1 in those two contests, and he returned for the ninth frame looking to do it for a third time.

Winnipeg would make a rally in the ninth. Josh Mazzola led off the bottom of the ninth with a double and would be driven in on a Tillman Pugh single making it 5-2. Pugh would proceed to steal second and wheel home on a Ryan Babineau double to left field making it 5-3. With two outs and a runner aboard, Adam Heisler belted a fly ball out to right field that had a chance of making it out. Joe Dunigan sprinted towards the warning track and leaped up to make the catch ending the game. Heisler’s hit was about five feet from leaving the park and tying the game.

Alexander (2-5) tosses his third complete game of the season while earning his second win of the year. Manager Doug Simunic remarked on the clutch pitching of Alexander, saying, “He showed some savvy tonight. He was very much in control of himself. He’s got good stuff.” Over the course of nine innings, Alexander gave up just three runs on seven hits with one walk and a career high 11 strikeouts. Matt Jackson (6-8) takes the loss for Winnipeg after giving up five runs on eight hits in 6.1 innings of work.

Fargo-Moorhead takes the first two games of the series, which also clinches their third straight series. The team improves to 29-49 and has now won six of their last seven games. Winnipeg drops to 35-43 with the loss. The series finale will conclude tomorrow afternoon as the RedHawks will send Taylor Stanton (3-3, 3.80 ERA) to the mound countered by left-hander Kyle Anderson (3-6, 4.76 ERA). First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m. with a 1:10 pre-game show on 740 AM The Fan.

Game Date: 08/15/2015

Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks  5 AT Winnipeg Goldeyes  3

                                 YTD                                   YTD
Fargo              AB  R  H BI   AVG  Winnipeg           AB  R  H BI   AVG
Z.Penprase SS       5  1  1  0  .285  A.Heisler LF        5  0  2  0  .328
D.Muren CF          4  0  1  2  .262  C.Grider SS         4  0  0  0  .302
C.Mozingo LF        4  0  0  0  .327  R.Abercrombie CF    3  0  0  0  .277
J.Bonfe 1B          3  1  2  1  .303  C.Haerther DH       4  1  1  1  .310
J.Dunigan RF        4  0  1  0  .229  J.Mazzola 3B        2  1  1  0  .295
L.Bailey DH         4  1  1  0  .243  L.Alen 1B           4  0  0  0  .278
C.Valerio C         4  0  1  0  .290  T.Pugh RF           4  1  1  1  .269
M.Wing 3B           3  2  2  1  .244  R.Babineau C        4  0  1  1  .233
R.Pineda 2B         4  0  2  1  .245  J.Boddicker 2B      4  0  1  0  .244
                   35  5 11  5                           34  3  7  3

Fargo                0 1 0   1 1 0   2 0 0 -  5 11  0
Winnipeg             0 0 0   1 0 0   0 0 2 -  3  7  0
2B--D.Muren (16), M.Wing (19), R.Pineda (4), J.Mazzola (17), R.Babineau
(6). HR--J.Bonfe (4), C.Haerther (7). RBI--D.Muren  2 (28), J.Bonfe (28),
M.Wing (29), R.Pineda (10), C.Haerther (62), T.Pugh (25), R.Babineau (11).
HP--D.Muren (10), J.Bonfe (12), J.Mazzola (8). SH--R.Abercrombie (0).
SB--M.Wing (11), R.Pineda (4), T.Pugh (11). 
LOB--Fargo 6, Winnipeg 7. DP--J. Boddicker(2B) - C. Grider(SS) - L.
Alen(1B). 
                                                                YTD
                                 IP   H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR     ERA
 Fargo
T.Alexander (W,2-5)             9.0   7   3   3   1  11   1    3.39
                                9     7   3   3   1  11   1
 Winnipeg
M.Jackson (L,6-8)               6.1   8   5   5   1   2   1    5.13
B.Lafferty                      0.1   1   0   0   0   0   0    3.53
M.Pope                          0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0    5.17
R.Varner                        1.0   1   0   0   0   1   0    4.05
M.Noteware                      1.0   1   0   0   0   1   0    5.11
                                9    11   5   5   1   4   1
HB--T.Alexander (6), M.Jackson 2 (4). SO--Z.Penprase, D.Muren, J.Dunigan 2,
C.Grider 3, R.Abercrombie 2, C.Haerther 2, R.Babineau, J.Boddicker 3.
BB--M.Wing, J.Mazzola. BF--T.Alexander 37 (345), M.Jackson 28 (423),
B.Lafferty 2 (196), R.Varner 4 (106), M.Noteware 4 (73). P-S--T.Alexander
134-95, M.Jackson 75-53, B.Lafferty 10-5, M.Pope 3-1, R.Varner 21-15,
M.Noteware 13-9. 
T--2:40.  A--4822

Weather: Ptly Cloudy, 31C, Wind S 26 KPH