Eric Filia crushed a decisive three-run homer as the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks seized control of the West Division Series with a 5-1 victory over Adam Hall and the Winnipeg Goldeyes.
The commanding triumph at Newman Outdoor Field gives Fargo-Moorhead a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-three postseason showdown.
Infielder Adam Hall went one for four with a double for Winnipeg, but the visitors could do little to disrupt an inspired performance from RedHawks starting pitcher Kyle Crigger.
Following two cagey, scoreless opening frames, Fargo-Moorhead unlocked the contest with two outs in the bottom of the third.
Jesús Lujano and Juan Fernández set the table with back-to-back singles before left fielder Filia stepped up, lifting a towering shot deep into the right-field stands to establish a 3-0 cushion.
The RedHawks tightened their grip in the seventh:
Fernández and Filia ignited the inning with consecutive base hits.
Tripp Clark lined a two-out RBI single into left field to drive home Fernández.
Dillon Thomas followed immediately with a run-scoring hit to right, allowing Filia to cross the plate and stretch the lead to 5-0.
Winnipeg starter Landen Bourassa took the loss after being tagged for five runs on 11 hits across 6 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out three. Relievers Ryo Kohigashi and James Colyer helped stem the tide, but Winnipeg’s lineup struggled to generate momentum against Crigger.
Crigger was in total command, scattering six hits while striking out nine over 8 2/3 innings of one-run ball.
The Goldeyes finally spoiled the shutout bid with two outs in the top of the ninth when Noah Marcelo singled, Keshawn Lynch walked, and Roby Enríquez drove Marcelo home with a base hit to centre.
However, any hopes of an improbable comeback were extinguished moments later. Tyler Jeans was summoned from the bullpen and retired the final batter to shut the door and secure the save.
Fargo-Moorhead will look to wrap up the series and punch their ticket to the next round in Game Two, while Winnipeg face a must-win battle to keep their season alive.
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