Late blast powers Sox past Bees in 10 innings

The Salt Lake Bees thought they had this game all but wrapped up. Colorado Springs' Ian Stewart and Alivin Colina had different ideas.

Stewart provided the dramatics by hitting a three-run bomb to tie the score in the top of the ninth inning and Colina landed the knockout punch with an RBI single in the 10th to give the Sky Sox a 7-6 comeback victory in Salt Lake.

"It was a tough loss," said Bees manager Brian Harper.

It was an odd loss, actually. The Bees' bullpen has been stellar, even perfect this season. Entering the game Salt Lake had not lost when holding a lead after seven innings, a perfect 26-0. The first loss could not have come at a worse time with the Sky Sox breathing down the Bees neck for the division lead.

Harper isn't too concerned with a defeat like this — his club has recovered well from tough losses all year. "They're as upset as I am," said Harper. "We'll bounce-back."

The Bees struck first when Nick Gorneault stole third and then scampered home on Colina's throwing error. Salt Lake added two more in the third on hot-hitting Terry Evans' RBI double to left. Evans would score on an RBI single by Kendry Morales to give the Bees a 3-0 lead.

Colorado Springs made it close in the fifth when Cory Sullivan doubled home a run and then scored on Omar Quintanilla's groundout to short.

The Bees were back at it in the sixth, when Brandon Wood hit an RBI double and Casey Smith blooped a run-scoring single to center to up the score to 5-2.

But the Sky Sox kept coming back. In the seventh, Jason Nix edged a homer over the left field wall. They were threatening later in the inning with runners on first and third and two out, when Stewart rocketed a ball toward Bees first-basemen Morales. Morales made a sweet snag to end the threat. Evans then smacked a homer to left center in the bottom of the inning, his second in as many nights, to give the Bees a 6-3 advantage.

"He's (Evans) probably been our most consistent hitter all year," said Harper.

Evans wasn't enough though.

The Sky Sox, a team known for its run-scoring prowess, were relentless and refused to quit. In the top of the ninth, with two out and runners at the corners, Stewart launched a 1-0 pitch to right off Bees reliever Jason Bulger that fixed the score at 6-6. Colina's RBI single won it in the 10th and Colorado Springs stole a victory in the first of a three-game showdown.

BEELINES: The Bees lost their first game when leading after seven innings (26-1). The loss dropped the Bees record in extra innings to 4-2.

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E-mail: nstorey@desnews.com