Sidewinders hammer Stingers 15-4 in series finale

Tucson exploded for 11 runs in the first five innings Sunday, then held the Stingers in check to win the final game of the opening series at Franklin Covey Field, 15-4.

Tucson starter Phil Stockman frustrated the Stinger batters through five innings, surrendering just two runs on three hits. By the time he left the game, the Sidewinders held an 11-2 lead, and the game was all but out of reach. With the loss, the Stingers are 3-1 on the season. Tucson improves to 1-3.

The cold, blustery conditions didn't seem to affect the Sidewinders as they rocked Salt Lake starter Doug Sessions for three runs before the Stingers could record an out. Tucson tacked on three more runs in the third inning, two more in the fourth and three more in the fifth before the Stingers got on the board with a home run by Curtis Pride.

Maybe more impressive was that a pair of Sidewinder three-run home runs — in the third inning by Doug DeVore and the fifth inning by Sergio Santos — were against the wind, well over the right-field fence.

Salt Lake mounted a threat in the sixth inning when Chris Prieto walked and scored on Casey Smith's double. Dallas McPherson then drove Smith home with a single, moved to second base on a wild pitch, and when Casey Kotchman walked, the Stingers trailed 11-4 with no one out and two aboard. But Pride hit into a 4-6-3 double play, and Luke Allen grounded out to the first baseman, stranding McPherson at third base.

In the eighth inning, Stingers reliever Clayton Andrews loaded the bases, and Carlos Quentin drove a high fast ball over the left-field fence to cap the scoring at 15-4. Quentin went 2-for-3 on the day with a walk and three runs scored and five RBIs. DeVore and Santos had three RBIs apiece for Tucson.

Stinger manager Dino Ebel was surprisingly upbeat in the loss, though, expressing satisfaction with his team's play. "We needed to make some adjustments today and we didn't," he said. "We got the ball up in the zone, and, to their credit, they capitalized on it."

Yes they did. The Sidewinders, in addition to putting up 15 runs, had 16 hits. By contrast, just five Stingers recorded hits Sunday, with the Smith, Allen and Pride hitting for extra bases.

"It's the start of a new season," Ebel said. "We'll work on our timing and make some adjustments here and there. When we get a-swinging, it'll be a fun time here."

While the Sidewinders move on to snowy Colorado Springs, the Stingers await the Las Vegas 51s for a four-game series starting tonight at 6:30 at Franklin Covey Field.

STINGERS NOTES: An RBI single by Tucson's Alan Zinter in the first inning ties him for the most against Salt Lake with 46 . . . RHP Pat Pahomes (0-0) will be on the mound for Las Vegas tonight against Salt Lake's Dustin Moseley (0-0) . . . Jazz guard Howard Eisley threw out the first pitch Sunday . . . With Sunday's attendance of 3,680, the Stingers are just 3,949 short of 6 million in franchise history and should pass that mark tonight.

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E-mail: jringwood@desnews.com