Stingers' 6 in 6th inning too much for River Cats

The Salt Lake Stingers used a six-run, seven-hit sixth inning to move two games above .500 and defeat the Sacramento River Cats 8-5 Sunday at Franklin Covey Field.

Luke Allen's three-run home run tied the game at 5-5 and Evan Thomas' pitching debut proved the winning combination as Salt Lake avoided back-to-back losses to Sacramento.

Stingers manager Dino Ebel, who watched his team rally from a 5-2 deficit, was ecstatic afterward.

"This team is battling every inning, and when you get one of those (six-run) innings, it gives you confidence as well as a little cushion," Ebel said. "We've been waiting for one of those innings and we got it today."

The six-run inning is the most by the Stingers this year since an 11-run inning on April 25 against Portland.

Starter Chris Bootcheck, back from the Los Angeles Angels, pitched five complete innings, throwing 88 pitches and surrendering three runs and scattering seven hits. When Thomas came in in the sixth, Salt Lake trailed 3-2 and immediately surrendered two more runs before settling down. He struck out three batters, while only surrendering one walk.

In the sixth, Salt Lake pounded Sacramento knuckleballer Steve Sparks for five straight hits, including two for extra bases. Sparks left the game trailing 6-5 and he was responsible for one more run before the Stingers were out of the inning.

"We got some good at-bats in that inning," Ebel said. "We were patient, we battled back, so things are beginning to turn around for us and that's a good sign."

Brian Gordon led off the inning with a single and moved to second on Jeff Mathis' single. Then came Allen's home run over the right field fence. Adam Pavkovich then singled to left, stole second, then advanced to third when Sparks threw the ball into center field on a pickoff attempt. Pavlovich scored on Brian Specht's double. He moved to third on a passed ball. David Matranga struck out looking, then Chris Prieto drove in Specht with his double and scored, beating the throw from left field, on Zach Sorensen's double. When Gourneault struck out for the third time, the Stingers had batted around. Gordon grounded out to the shortstop and the Stingers led 8-5.

Salt Lake was looking good early as Bootcheck held the River Cats scoreless through four innings. The Stingers scored first on back-to-back hits in the third inning by Matranga and Prieto. Matranga scored from third on Sorensen's sacrifice fly to center. Salt Lake went ahead 2-0 in the fourth when Allen tripled into the Stingers' bullpen near right field and scored on Pavkovich's single to left.

Sacramento took a 3-2 lead in the fifth on a home run by Brant Colamarino and hits by Steve Jackson and Freddie Bynum. Shawn Garrett then hit a long fly into right field that was held up by the wind and bounced off the wall as Allen crashed into the fence. The ball bounced for a double and Jackson and Brynum scored.

The River Cats added two more runs in the sixth on a hit by Andrew Beattie and a home run by Matt Watson. But that was just a prelude to the Stingers' comeback.

NOTES: The Stingers are now 7-8 in day games and are 16-13 at home . . . Starting pitchers for tonight's game will be Mario Ramos (3-2, 4.20) for Sacramento against Corey Lee (4-2, 2.48) for the Stingers . . . Attendance at Sunday's game was 12,447, continuing the free ticket give-away promotion.

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E-mail: jringwood@desnews.com