Big comeback thrills crowd of nearly 7,000

The Winnipeg Goldeyes got exactly what they needed on Friday night: A big win in front of an even bigger crowd.

In the bottom of the eighth, and the Rockford RiverHawks leading 3-2, the Goldeyes got a little two-out lightning as Vince Harrison singled home the tying run and Dee Brown singled home the eventual winner as the Fish beat the visiting RiverHawks 5-3 in a rare late-inning comeback.

With the win, the Goldeyes improved to 19-15 on the season and put a stop to a mini-two-game losing streak.

“It’s always nice to watch our guys put some two-out hits together,” said starter Stephen Flake, who scattered six hits and allowed only one run over six-and-a-third innings of work.

“They were fun to watch tonight.

It was a terrific ball game. The Goldeyes took a 1-0 lead on a solo homer by Wes Long to open the first, Rockford tied it in the second and the Goldeyes went ahead 2-1 in the fourth when Justin Justice was hit, stole second and scored on a Harrison single.

Rockford put up a pair of runs against relievers Zach Baldwin and Philip Roy in the top of the eighth and then the Goldeyes put their comeback rally together. Aharon Eggleston singled to lead off and then after Juan Diaz struck out and Kevin West flied out to left, Justice singled to send Eggleston to third. Harrison tied the game with a hard single to right, then Brown knocked in the game winner with a flair to right, Luis Alen was walked intentionally and then Harrison scored when rookie Price Kendall was hit with the bases loaded.

It was a great night for Kendall who got his first hit as a professional plus his first RBI. However, it was a fabulous night for Harrison who had three hits in four trips, scored run, drove in two and raised his batting average to .279. He was hitting just .226 two weeks ago.

“Maybe I’m heating up with the weather. I hope so,” Harrison said with a smile. “It’s really just a matter of trying not to do too much. I was working in the cage with Tom (hitting coach Vaeth) yesterday and he just said keep it simple: Just get a pitch to hit and put a solid swing on the ball.

“Tonight I just stopped thinking too much. When I think too much, that’s when I think myself out of it. I just went up there looking for a pitch to hit and then tried to put a good swing on it. We were better tonight. Flake pitched a good game and we put together some two-out hits. That’s what we needed.”

Game 3 of this four-game series will be played tonight at Canwest Park. Mike (0-2, 3.18 ERA) will get the start for Rockford while Mark Holliman (3-1, 1.88 ERA) will take the ball for Winnipeg. Game time is 6 p.m.