September 7: RedHawks Eliminate Goldeyes From Northern League Playoffs

In the end, the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks had one big inning in them and the Winnipeg Goldeyes just didn’t have enough.

In front of a nice Game 5 crowd at Canwest Park on Sunday night, the RedHawks put up six runs in the top of the sixth inning – on five hits and two Goldeyes errors – to come back from a 3-2 deficit and beat the Goldeyes 8-3.

With the win, Fargo moves on to face the Gary SouthShore RailCats in the Northern League final while the Goldeyes head home.

“We just got some big hits from every part of our line-up tonight,” said RedHawks catcher Alan Rick, who drove in the winning run with a double off reliever Bill Pulsipher in the sixth.

“We have some great bats in the bottom of the line-up as well as the top and we got some important hits tonight. It was a great win, but we still have to get past Gary and that won’t be easy.”

For the Goldeyes, it was a bitter loss. The team probably should have won the series in three games, but a throwing error in the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 2 allowed the tying and winning runs to score. And while the Fish eventually took a 2-1 series lead, there was this sense that the series should have been over and the Goldeyes had let a very good opponent up off the canvas.

When Fargo won 3-2 on Saturday night to force a fifth-and-deciding game, it was obvious Fargo wasn’t going to roll over and play dead.

“We got a good start from Jeff (Icenogle) and the bullpen was outstanding throughout the series,” said Fargo manager Doug Simunic. “Then in the sixth inning we got some big hits and Winnipeg made two boo-boos that cost them. We have a team that plays hard and hangs in there and we kept it close long enough to allow ourselves to get something going there in the sixth.”

Goldeyes manager Rick Forney looked at the Game 5 loss philosophically.

“It was a good season for us,” Forney said. “We worked hard but we came up short. I liked this team and I was proud of the guys.

“We’re very fortunate in Winnipeg. The front office staff works hard to fill seats and that makes it easy for me to sign players and entice them to come here. Andrew (Collier) is more than just my general manager, and the best general manager in the league, he’s a great friend. Jonathan (Green) always works hard to help me get players in here. It’s just a great place for me to be able do this. I appreciate being here.

“I look forward to coming back next year and trying again.”