By Neal Lutz
SALT LAKE CITY – The Salt Lake Stingers held off a late rally, as they handed league leading Las Vegas 51s a rare 7-6 loss Thursday evening, May 15.
With two outs in the bottom of the first, Stingers right fielder Gary Johnson reached base on a fielder”s choice. Leftfielder Robb Quinlan followed with a single to center, and first baseman Adam Riggs drove both home with his team-high fifth home run of the year.
The second inning followed much the same pattern as third baseman Trent Durrington got on base on a fielder”s choice and second baseman Chone Figgins followed with a single.
The similarities took a slight turn as shortstop Alfredo Amezaga hit a triple down the right field line driving in two runs to improve his hitting streak to 22 games.
Amezaga went 3 for 3 and was a home run shy of batting for the cycle.
“If God wants, I”ll be there ready every day,” Amezaga said, when asked if he could keep his streak going long enough to earn the Stingers franchise record at 24 consecutive games with a hit. “Right now, I”m just trying to make contact and help the team.”
Salt Lake stung again in the fourth and fifth when Durrington and Amezaga both doubled to set up RBI singles for Figgins and Quinlan respectively. The two one-run innings gave the Stingers a 6-1 lead.
“We”ve been swinging the bats good,” Stingers” manager Mike Brumley said. “Our offense has been really consistent day in and day out.”
But it came down to pitching and defense in the end, as the tide started to turn as Las Vegas scored two runs in the top of the sixth.
The 51s added two more in the seventh when second baseman Joe Thurston got on with a triple, and then scored when center fielder Jason Romano hit his second homer of the year.
The 51s cut the lead to one in the top of the eighth when right fielder Wilkin Ruan batted in first baseman Rick Bell, but that was as close as Las Vegas would get as right-hander Bart Miadich recorded his fifth save of the season.
