July 23, 2010 - FAIRBANKS – Fire and Miners had their first game of the five game series postponed due to darkness at Growden. The game was tied 8-8 after nine innings of play. Josh DeBoer got the start for the Fire, and fell into a little of trouble in the first couple of innings, but was able to get two huge double plays to get out of both innings. Just Denbow is currently the man to receive a decision as he pitched the last two innings in the contest. Denbow did a great job out on the mound as he faced the minimum in his two innings of work.
The Miners jumped on the board first and early with a run in the bottom of the 1st inning. Tyler Ruch started things off with a one out walk and came around to score on an Andy Mee RBI double. The Miners went on to score another run in the top of the 2nd inning to give them the early 2-0 lead.
The Miners continued to add on to their lead with four runs in the top of the 5th inning. The four run outbreak came on three errors and a double to the visitors the big 6-0 advantage.
Since the Miners took the six run advantage, the Fire decided it was time to mount a comeback, and did they ever. Two runs in the bottom of the 5th inning were thanks to a Ty Windall two out infield single, which started the inning off. Aaron Parnell then lined a single into center field to give the Fire runners on first and second. A Cody Terry walk would load the bases as the Fire were in business. Marc Schoch then drove a two out two RBI single to give him sixteen RBI with two outs on the season, cutting the Miners lead to four with a 6-2 score.
The Fire continued their comeback with two runs in the bottom of the 6th inning. A one out walk by Will Watson started off the inning, and he advanced to second on a wild pitch. Hank Price followed the walk and wild pitch up with an RBI single and advanced to second on the throw to the plate. Price then came in to score on an RBI single, as Ryan Mathews smashed a line drive right back up the middle to bring the score to 6-4.
The Miners responded in the top of the 7th inning with two runs of their own, as they tried to distance themselves. Bret Schwartz reached on a one out walk and later scored as relief pitcher Matt Addis walked in both runs. Addis started off hot, but struggled in his last inning of work, as the Miners lengthened their lead to 8-4.
The Fire then recognized it would be a good time to get a rally going, and Ryan Mathews was the man that did it with a leadoff single in the bottom of the 8th inning. Ty Windall then recorded a singled himself to put runners on first and second. Aaron Parnell then made it three straight base hits as the Fire loaded the bases. Cody Terry then recorded his first RBI of the night with a walk, as Miners reliever Jason Trivett had a hard time finding the strike zone. Marc Schoch then grounded into a double play, but Windall did come in to score on the play, and Parnell advanced to third. That is when Kellen Bozeman stepped up big with a two-run homerun over the left field wall, his first of the season to tie the game 8-8. The big fly would prove to be the game saver for the Fire.
The Fire will resume the extra-inning game Sunday at 12 PM local time. Both teams are still scheduled to play that same afternoon, and the second game will begin thirty minutes following the conclusion of the resumed game. The Fire and Miners will play two tomorrow, game one begins at 5 PM local time, and game two is scheduled for 8 PM, but the timing is pending the conclusion of the first game.
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