A costly error that led to the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks cashing in a trio of runs to break a seventh-inning deadlock loomed large after the Winnipeg Goldeyes’ hopes of a fifth league title extinguished on Saturday night.
The Fish couldn’t recover after the RedHawks restored a three-run lead, eventually falling 7-3 in a winner-take-all Game 3 in the best-of-three American Association divisional semifinal at Newman Outdoor Field.
The dagger came in the bottom of the seventh after Goldeyes shortstop Raul Navarro couldn’t negotiate a ground ball hit to him, one that could have resulted in an inning-ending double play with one on and one out for the RedHawks in a 3-3 game.
Instead, the ball bounced off his glove and into the air, allowing Fargo infielder Sam Dexter to safely reach second. From there, a Peter Maris single would drive in the go-ahead run and Leobaldo Pina would later smack a double to right centre field to bring home another pair of runs to make it 6-3.
Fargo, the second seed in the West Division after losing the top spot to the Kansas City Monarchs on the final day of the season last Monday, now has a chance to avenge that loss against the defending champion Monarchs in the divisional final set to begin on Monday.
For Winnipeg, who finished third in the same division with a 53-47 record to reach the playoffs for the first time since winning their third Association title in 2017, their season ends after taking a 1-0 series lead after a 6-3 victory in Game 1 back in Winnipeg last Wednesday.
The Fish battled back from an early 3-0 deficit on Saturday after Fargo engineered a three-run first inning, with slugger John Silviano hitting into a fielder’s choice to drive in the 1-0 run before Venezuelan Manuel Boscan cranked a two-out, two-run homer over the right field wall to increase the lead.
Michael Crouse, who homered for Winnipeg in an 8-3 loss in Game 2 on Friday night in Fargo, drove in Reggie Pruitt Jr. on a single and Ian Sagdal drilled a two-run shot of his own on the very next at-bat to reset the game with the score now 3-3.
Winnipeg righty Freisis Adames went five innings for the Goldeyes, striking out three while giving up four hits and three earned runs on the 21 batters he faced.
Winnipeg manager Rick Forney, who led the ball club to their 24th winning season in 2022, sent out closer Tasker Strobel to start the sixth, facing the heart of Fargo’s order, and settled down after walking Pina to retire the next three.
The Fish had a chance to take their first lead of the game with no outs and a man on in the top of the seventh. Kevin Lachance reached on a single, and a sac bunt by Pruitt Jr. advanced him to scoring position with one out. Fargo went to the pen, bringing in Joe Jones who struck out Drew Stafford Jr. and Crouse to end the threat.
After pulling out another three-run lead in the seventh, Fargo would tack on another run in the bottom of the eighth, with Correa hitting a single out to right field that ushered Evan Alexander across home plate to make it 7-3.
The Fish were without league MVP Max Murphy for a second straight game on Saturday after the 29-year-old broke his leg in Winnipeg’s 6-3 Game 1 win back at Shaw Park.
Six Goldeyes had hits in the game.
Peyton Wigginton went five and two-thirds innings for the RedHawks, pulled after allowing Winnipeg’s three-run offensive outburst in the sixth. Wigginton struck out three and allowed five hits while walking a pair in the start.
Alex DuBord came in to close out the game in a non-save situation for Fargo in the ninth, striking out two, including Pruitt Jr. to end the game and Winnipeg’s season.
sbilleck@postmedia.com
Twitter: @scottbilleck
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