by Steve Schuster
JACKSON, TN – The Winnipeg Goldeyes beat the Houston Apollos 9-3 in an exhibition game at The Ballpark at Jackson on Saturday evening.
Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth, the Goldeyes scored seven runs to take the lead for the remainder of the game. Jay Gonzalez singled up the middle with one out and stole second base. After Tyler Hill walked, Kyle Martin reached on a popfly single that loaded the bases. A wild pitch ushered home Gonzalez with the tying run before Raul Navarro walked to re-load the bases. Logan Hill coaxed a walk that forced Tyler Hill home with the lead run, and the Goldeyes opened a 6-2 lead when Max Murphy lined a bases-clearing double into the right field corner. Following an Apollos’ pitching change, Kevin Lachance and Dakota Conners delivered back-to-back RBI singles to stretch the lead to 8-2.
Winnipeg tacked on a run in the bottom of the seventh on a Jay Gonzalez RBI groundout.
Jordan Pontius’ RBI single in the top of the eighth provided the game’s final margin.
Houston jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-run home run from Alvaro Gonzalez.
In the bottom of the third, Martin hit a solo home run off the scoreboard in right-centre field that pulled the Goldeyes within 2-1.
Joey Gonzalez started for the Goldeyes and picked up the win, allowing two earned runs on five hits in five innings. Gonzalez walked one, struck out three, and threw just 63 pitches.
Christian Griffin took the loss in relief for Houston.
Justin Watland, Ken Frosch, and Kyle Thomas combined for four innings of one-run ball in relief of Gonzalez.
The Goldeyes begin the 2021 regular season Tuesday night against the Sioux Falls Canaries. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard locally on CJNU 93.7 FM and worldwide at www.cjnu.ca
The Goldeyes will continue to monitor the reopening of the Canada/US border and assess a potential return to Shaw Park in 2021.
In the coming weeks, Winnipeg Goldeyes staff will contact ticket holders with more information and appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding.
