Stingers beat weary 51s handily

The Salt Lake Stingers made the most of an unexpected day off Monday by thoroughly dominating the travel-weary Las Vegas 51s 7-1 Tuesday at Franklin Covey Field.

While the Stingers came into the game looking fresh and relaxed, the 51s didn't wake up until the ninth inning, to post their lone run. The 51s managed just two hits all evening.

Stingers starter Dustin Moseley looked in mid-season form, throwing a 1-hitter through six innings and keeping the 51s off balance. Helped by a couple of wind-aided flyouts in the first inning, Moseley got ahead of the batters with a series of curves, sliders and changeups, allowing just three runners to reach base.

"I felt strong all night," Moseley said afterward to the high-fives of his teammates in the clubhouse. "I had some forearm tightness during spring training, but that appears to be gone now, and I managed to stay ahead of the batters."

In the first inning, Las Vegas leadoff man Henri Stanley hit a high shot to right field that stayed in the park thanks to the 20 mph wind blowing from the south. After an infield out, Chin-Feng Chen of Taiwan hit another towering shot to center field that dropped harmlessly into the mitt of Chris Prieto and that pretty much ended the 51s' scoring threat until the ninth.

The Stingers got on the scoreboard first in the second inning when Casey Kotchman walked and took second on a fielder's choice. Curtis Pride, batting .600 but hitting in the sixth spot, then drove Kotchman home on a standup triple that bounced off the centerfield fence. Pride was put out trying to score on Nick Gorneault's infield grounder and Gorneault took second base during the rundown. Luke Allen then drove Gorneault home with a line shot to left field and the Stingers led 2-0.

Salt Lake also cashed in Prieto's leadoff walk in the third inning. McPherson moved him to third on a hit-and-run single and Prieto scored on Kotchman's infield roller for the 3-0 lead.

After another leadoff walk in the fourth, the Stingers loaded the bases, but only momentarily. Andy Fox, who was hitting .083, blasted a shot into the gap in right-center field for a standup triple and the Stingers led 6-0.

51s starter Edwin Jackson plunked the next batter, Prieto, who then stole second base on an indifferent infield. But that was all the scoring for the inning. The two teams face each other today at 6:30 p.m. with Scott Dunn on the mound for the Stingers and Pat Mahomes starting for 51s.

STINGERS NOTES: Ben and Courtney White of Sandy became the Stingers' 6 millionth and 6 million and first fan. They received a package of gifts from Stingers owner Larry H. Miller, including season tickets . . . Jazz executive Jay Francis threw out the first pitch . . . The game was officiated by four umpires with major league umpire Rob Drake working home plate.

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E-mail: jringwood@desnews.com