CARDS GET DRAMATIC 11-10 WIN
Rick Ankiel’s two-out, two-run shot in the bottom of the
13th inning gave the Springfield Cardinals a dramatic
11-10 victory over the Midland RockHounds on Thursday
night at Hammons Field.
In a game that featured several comebacks, Kevin
Melillo’s solo shot to right-center off Cards reliever
Alan Benes (1-0) to lead off the 13th, looked like it
might go unanswered. However, Evan Fahrner (7-2)
surrendered a two-out single to Shaun Boyd on a 3-2
pitch to keep the Cards alive in the bottom of the
13th. After fouling off a number of two-strike pitches,
Rick Ankiel’s line shot down the right field line crept
over the fence, giving the Cards their second straight
win. Ankiel’s third homer in a Springfield uniform and
second in as many nights, capped an amazing 5:27 minute
game, the longest in franchise history.
After Midland got a run against Cory Doyne to take an
8-7 ninth-inning lead, Brendan Ryan’s solo shot with one
out in the bottom of the ninth helped the Cardinals tie
the game at 8-8 against Midland’s Nick Mattioni.
The teams played scoreless ball until the 12th inning
when Midland reclaimed the lead. With one out, Andre
Ethier singled and stole second base. After a fly ball
to right field allowed Ethier to tag and move to third,
Ethier scored on a wild pitch from Benes, making it 9-8.
The Cardinals didn’t waste any time tying the game,
drawing even in the bottom of the 12th. Tyler Minges
led off the frame with a double, then advanced to third
on a groundball to third base by Aaron Herr. Travis
Hanson brought home the tying run with a deep sac fly to
right field, tying the game at 9-9.
After Midland got out to a 2-0 advantage in the
first, the Cards scored the game’s next six runs. In
the bottom of the first, Aaron Herr’s two-run double
tied the game at 2-2. Springfield tallied three in the
second, as Dan Moylan’s RBI double brought home Papo
Bolivar for a 3-2 lead. After a Brendan Ryan single,
Aaron Herr’s two-out single, plated two more runs,
making it 5-2. The Cards took a 6-2 lead in the third,
as Moylan singled with two outs and scored on Ryan’s RBI
double to left field.
Midland would score five of the game’s next six runs,
eventually tying the game at 7-7 in the eighth.
Offensively, it was a terrific night for several
players. Aaron Herr and Brendan Ryan each had four
hits, producing eight of Springfield’s 18 hits. Herr
drove in four runs on the night, tying his season-best.
Travis Hanson, who finished the game with just one hit,
produced a clutch sac fly in the 12th, driving in his
league-best 82nd run of the year.
