Stingers down Beavers in 10 innings

PORTLAND — Despite committing a season-high four errors, the Salt Lake Stingers used timely pitching and defense to pull out a 2-1 extra inning victory over Portland Monday night in the opening game of a four-game series.

The win improved Salt Lake's record 15-8, good enough for for a four-game lead over Portland.

With the game tied at 1-1 heading into the 10th inning, the Stingers used a two-out rally to take the lead as Casey Smith walked, and eventually came around to score on consecutive singles by Casey Kotchman and Curtis Pride.

Salt Lake relief pitcher Mike Brunet recorded the victory to improve to 3-1.

The game was a pitchers duel from the start as Salt Lake starter Corey Lee finished with eight strikeouts, while Portland's Clay Hensley had six of his own.

The Beavers could've blown the game wide open in the first inning after loading the bases with nobody out. However, after a Jon Knott walk scored Kerry Robinson with still no outs, Lee struck out Padres top prospect Josh Barfield and forced Ben Risinger to ground into an inning-ending double-play.

The Stingers evened the game in the fifth inning on an infield RBI single by Alexi Casilla that scored Adam Pavkovich.

Despite allowing the lead-off runner on base in six of 10 innings, the Stingers were able to eke out the victory.

The Stingers nearly took the lead in the eighth and ninth inning, but with runners in scoring position in both circumstances, Portland first baseman Ben Risinger made outstanding defensive players to keep the game level at 1-1.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Beavers had runners at the corner following an error on Brunet, but he settled down and got Robinson to fly out to center.