(KNFL/KFGO) – The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks outlasted the Cleburne Railroaders 12-9, fueled by an explosive offense and a dramatic fifth-inning rally.
The RedHawks struck first in the top of the first inning when José Sermo drove in Juan Fernandez with a bloop single, followed quickly by a Jesus Lujano RBI line drive to center.
Juan Fernandez extended the lead to 3-0 in the second with an RBI single scoring Andy Nelson, but Cleburne fought back in the third, stringing together a Carter Aldrete RBI single, a wild pitch, and a bases-loaded walk to Caleb McNeely to tie the game.
The Railroaders then surged ahead with a four-run fourth inning, capitalizing on two RedHawks errors to score via another Aldrete single, a clutch two-run ground-rule double by Cole Foster, and a second bases-loaded walk to McNeely.
Refusing to back down, Sermo breathed life into the RedHawks with a solo home run in the fifth, setting the stage for a spectacular five-run sixth inning where Aidan Byrne hit an RBI single, Jairus Richards launched a game-tying two-run blast, Lujano ripped a go-ahead RBI double, and Jake Hjelle capped it off with a thrilling three-run homer to left.
Cleburne clawed back within striking distance in the bottom of the sixth on a Carter Aldrete sacrifice fly and a Christian Almanza RBI groundout, but the RedHawks tacked on one final insurance run and relied on reliever Tyler Jeans to lock down the final out in the ninth, securing a thrilling 12-9 victory.
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