August 20: Goldeyes Happy To Hit The Road

When their bus pulled up outside Canwest Park yesterday afternoon to load up and drive to Schaumburg, the Fish were quite happy to get out of town.

With an 8-4 loss to Fargo-Moorhead, the Goldeyes were swept right out of their own Fish Bowl by a RedHawks team that won its ninth straight to move into a tie with Gary atop the league standings.

It was a disappointing loss for the hosts, who held a 4-0 lead through four innings with ace Bill Pulsipher on the mound. But the monster bats of the RedHawks came to life in the fifth and Fargo put up eight runs in the final five innings.

The big blow came with the Goldeyes leading 4-3 in the sixth. With two on and one out, Alan Rick hit the first pitch he saw from Pulsipher high and deep to right.

“I came up looking for something elevated,” Rick told Shaw TV after the game. “I wasn’t sure what he threw me, a splitter or a change, but it was up and I was able to drive it. He’s a really tough pitcher with nasty stuff, but I guessed right this time.

“These are all very important games down the stretch and that Winnipeg club is a good club. But we’re really hitting the ball right now, every guy in the line-up, and nobody in our clubhouse worries much if we fall behind.”

For the Goldeyes, it was nice to see Fargo’s bus pull out of the parking lot.

“We have to handle this like we would any slump,” said right fielder Kevin West. “We have a good team and sometimes baseball is like a roller coaster. It’s a long season, it has its ups and downs.”

Right now, after losing four straight to Fargo, the Goldeyes are on the down side. Perhaps this four-game trip to Schaumburg will help to turn that around. Game one be heard tonight at 7:00 on 1290 CFRW.