Stingers score 7 in 10th

After fighting back twice to tie the game, the Salt Lake Stingers rallied for seven runs in the 10th inning to even the four-game series and win the season series against the Fresno Grizzlies with a 12-5 victory.

With the bases loaded and one out in the 10th inning, 19-year old Jose Caldera opened the scoring with a single and Casey Kotchman doubled in three runs to extend the lead.

The win keeps the Stingers two games ahead of the Tacoma Rainiers in the Northern Division of the Pacific Conference.

The Stingers jumped on the scoreboard first as Curtis Pride singled in Adam Pavkovich with two outs in the first inning, giving the Stingers the first run in each of the four games in the series against the Grizzlies. They lost their early lead when Edgardo Alfonzo singled in Marquis Grissom in the bottom of the first inning to tie the game at 1-1. Yamid Haad gave the Grizzlies a 3-1 lead by nailing a two-run home run in the second inning off of Salt Lake's Evan Thomas.

In the last meeting Thomas had with the Grizzlies, he didn't survive past the first inning, allowing eight runs in the inning.

On Thursday, he pitched past the fifth inning for the first time in a Stingers uniform, pitching seven innings.

The Stingers cut the lead in half in the third inning as Alberto Callaspo tripled in Casey Smith with no outs. With no outs in the fifth inning, Julio Ramirez sent a ball pool over the centerfield fence giving the Grizzlies a 4-2 lead.

Matt Cain finished the night with seven strong innings and struck-out five batters, extending his PCL leading strikeout total but the Grizzlies bullpen failed to protect the lead, costing him the win. The Stingers again tied the game in the eighth inning as Brian Gordon extended his hitting streak with a run-scoring triple.

Fresno's Todd Linden hit his PCL leading 24th home run in the eighth inning giving the Grizzlies a 5-4 lead.

Salt Lake tied the game again with a bases-loaded infield hit for Nick Gorneault with two outs in the ninth inning. The Stingers return home today to play Las Vegas at 7 p.m. Hall of Famer Harmen Killebrew will throw out the first pitch. The "Killer" hit 573 career home runs and more than 40 home runs during a single season on eight separate occasions.