SIOUX FALLS, SD -- The Sioux Falls Canaries suffered a 7-2 loss on Friday night to the Winnipeg Goldeyes before a sellout crowd of 4,656 fans at Sioux Falls Stadium.

The Canaries (38-52) lost the opener of the three-game series while Winnipeg maintained second place in the wildcard standings.

The Goldeyes (50-41) quickly jumped on Canaries starter Kyle Vazquez (2-4) with a single and a walk to start the ballgame. After a double steal, a passed ball scored Tyler Graham and Yurendell de Caster followed with a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.

Winnipeg built a 5-0 lead through 3 ½ innings with solo home runs by Luis Alen and Ray Sadler. Fehlandt Lentini also drove in a run.

Back-to-back, two-out RBI singles by Jared Clark and J.P. Ramirez cut the Canaries’ deficit to 5-2 in the bottom of the  fourth, but Goldeyes pitching stymied the Canaries the rest of the way.  Lentini pushed the lead back to 7-2 with a two-run single in the sixth.  Lentini was 2-for-4 with three RBI.

Winnipeg starter Matt Jackson (3-0) threw seven solid innings, permitting just six hits and two runs through seven innings.

Vazquez gave up five run in five innings on eight hits, walking one and striking out six.

Nick Van Stratten was 2-for-4, taking over second place in the batting race with a .346 average and extending a hitting streak to 15 games.

Game two of the series is at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday at Sioux Falls Stadium.

Courtesy:  Sioux Falls Canaries

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