Salt Lake plays 10, reclaims 1st place

FRESNO, Calif. — The Stingers are back in first place of the Northern Division of the Pacific Coast League after a 5-4 extra-inning victory over the Fresno Grizzlies on Saturday night.

Curtis Pride had an RBI single in the top of the 10th inning that scored Zach Sorensen and proved to be the game-winner. Scott Dunn sat down the Grizzlies in the bottom of the inning.

Salt Lake squandered a strong pitching performance by Corey Lee. He gave the club his seventh quality start in 12 appearances on the season — a start that constitutes at least six innings giving up three runs or less. He went six innings, giving up two runs on six hits. He struck out six while walking two and left with a 4-2 lead.

Luke Allen put the Stingers up early with a solo home run in the second inning, but Fresno answered in the bottom of the third on back-to-back doubles by Yamid Haad and Angel Chavez.

It was a three-run fourth inning that made up the bulk of the Salt Lake offense. Nick Gorneault singled to lead off, and he scored after Allen hit a single and Fresno committed a throwing error. David Matranga hit a two-run homer to cap the inning.

The fourth nearly marked the end of the Stingers' offense. They managed only three other base runners in the final six innings. The team finished with only six hits, one coming after the fourth inning, while racking up 11 strikeouts.

Fresno pecked away at the lead as it scored a run in the fifth on a Doug Clark RBI single, and Michael Cervenak hit an RBI double in the seventh to inch closer. Haad hit a sacrifice fly for the tying RBI in the eighth off Evan Thomas that resulted in a blown save and set up the extra-inning heroics for Pride.

Allen's solo home run in the first inning was No. 12 on the season, good enough for the team lead. It was also his 42nd RBI, which is good for second on the team. Lee's six strikeouts put his season total at 68, tops on the team. The Stingers (38-29) continue their series with the Grizzlies (34-35) today at 3:05 p.m.