Bees salvage split in series

The Salt Lake Bees capitalized on Steven Shell's workmanlike pitching and four Oklahoma errors Sunday to defeat the RedHawks 7-2 at Franklin Covey Field, evening their series at two games apiece.

Shell (1-1) scattered nine hits over seven innings and surrendered just two runs as some timely Bees fielding kept eight RedHawk runners stranded on base.

"Any time you can break even on a four-game set, you're pleased," Salt Lake manager Brian Harper said. "After (Saturday night's) loss, Shell pitched well and really picked us up. He helped us bounce back."

Additionally, Salt Lake got some excellent at-bats. Kendry Morales went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a couple of RBIs. In the sixth Curtis Pride fouled off five pitches to keep the inning alive and allowed Salt Lake to extend its lead once Oklahoma City had scored.

Salt Lake got on the board first when Morales doubled in the second inning and advanced to third on Jeff Mathis' ground out. After Mike Eylward struck out, Pride walked. Then Adam Pavkovich appeared to ground out to the pitcher, but the home plate umpire called a balk on Oklahoma pitcher Edinson Volquez, which allowed Morales to score and move Pride to second. Pavkovich then struck out to end the inning with the Bees leading 1-0.

In the third inning, the Bees added three runs on two RedHawk throwing errors. Reggie Willits walked and advanced to third when Howie Kendrick's chopper to first base was fielded by the RedHawks' Nick Trezesniak, who overthrew the shortstop attempting to get the force-out at second base. Willits scored when the shortstop couldn't get Kendrick out at second after fielding Nick Gorneault's grounder. Morales then doubled in both Kendrick and Gorneault to make the score 4-0.

"Morales is swinging the bat well," Harper said. "He's more disciplined at the plate. He's waiting on pitches. He's a special hitter when he battles to get better pitches to hit."

After Salt Lake added a run in the fifth inning, Oklahoma scored in the sixth on back-to-back doubles by Jamie Burke and Laynce Nix. Nix moved to third on a long fly and scored on Trzesniak's single to cut the Bees' lead to 5-2.

"I just tried to concentrate on the next batter and the next out," Shell said about his performance. "Jeff (Mathis) talked with me between innings and reviewed what we wanted to do with each batter. He set a good target, and I just tried to hit it."

Salt Lake added a run in the sixth on two more Oklahoma fielding errors and another in the seventh on Mathis' sacrifice fly that allowed Kendrick to score from third.

The 7-2 win gave the Bees (25-17) a split with the RedHawks (17-26). Salt Lake has lost just one series this season.

The homestand continues tonight at 6:30 when the New Orleans Zephyrs visit Franklin Covey Field. RHP Jered Weaver (3-1, 2.44 ERA) will square off against Shawn Hill. Tuesday's game in the four-game series is at 10:30 a.m. with Wednesday's and Thursday's games at 6:30 p.m.

BEES WAX: Attendance at Sunday's game was 5,374 — a season high for Sunday games under the Larry H. Miller ownership . . . A day after breaking his string of 13 consecutive games with a hit, Mathis was 0-for-3 Sunday, but with an RBI . . . Mathis also surrendered Salt Lake's first passed ball of the season in the ninth inning . . . Oklahoma's Trzesniak had three hits — to center, left and right field — the only RedHawk with multiple hits in the game.

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E-mail: jringwood@desnews.com