Stingers split pair in Tacoma

TACOMA, Wash. — The Salt Lake Stingers finished their three games in 24 hours marathon Tuesday by splitting a doubleheader with the Tacoma Rainiers, as they claimed game one 6-1 and dropped the nightcap 5-1. The twinbill followed their 6-4 win on Monday night.

The turning point of the opener came early as the Rainiers loaded the bases in the first with no outs, but Stingers starter Eric Cyr got out of the inning by fanning Bucky Jacobsen and inducing A.J. Zapp to ground into a double play. In the top of the second, Salt Lake loaded the bases with no outs against Tacoma starter Matt Thornton (5-4) and were able to score two runs on a sacrifice fly by Tom Gregorio and a ground out by Casey Smith.

Derrick Gibson led the offense with a sacrifice fly in the third and a two-run double in the seventh. Scott Dunn (4-2) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the win, and Brendan Donnelly struck out the side in the seventh in what was likely, his final rehab appearance for the Stingers.

Salt Lake took a 1-0 lead in the second game on a run-scoring groundout by Adam Riggs in the first inning. Tacoma tied the game on a solo homer in the second by Bucky Jacobsen and then took the lead in the third when Justin Leone drilled a 2-2 pitch from Yoshi Mizuo (0-3) over the wall in left. Mickey Lopez added a run-scoring triple in the fourth, and Elpidio Guzman chipped in a two run single in the sixth. Scott Atchison (3-2) allowed just one run over five innings for the win, and Randy Williams tossed two shutout innings for his third save of the season.

NOTES: Tuesday's doubleheader was necessitated by a rainout on May 8 . . . Infielder Javy Rodriguez was sent down to double-A Arkansas. Rodriguez hit .263 with seven RBI in 37 games for the Stingers . . . Tacoma hit three home runs in the doubleheader. That gives them 89 for the season, tops among all teams in minor league baseball . . . Stingers reliever Derrick Turnbow was recalled to the majors by Anaheim. Cam Esslinger was promoted to Salt Lake from double-A Arkansas. Esslinger was 1-0, 8.10 in four appearances for the Stingers earlier this season.