The Salt Lake Trappers bunt runners along. A lot. It's part of Manager Nick Belmonte's running game. Tuesday night they nudged runners up with sacrifices and bunt-singles through 12 innings against Helena in Derks Field.

In the 13th, the score still tied at that same 3-3 that it had been since the eighth, the bunt was on again for Trapper Rob Bargas. Wayne Stofsky was on first with a bloop single. Bargas was ready to sacrifice, but the first pitch was a ball. Belmonte changed the sign, calling for Bargas to hit away.Bargas, with four hits already, slashed a triple to right to score Stofsky and end what may have been the longest game in Trapper history 4-3.

They've not played more than 12 innings in the last five years. Records for the first year are incomplete.

"The bunt hadn't been working," said Belmonte. Actually, it had, in a way. The Traps had put good bunts down, but the runners never made it home. The Traps stranded 16 baserunners.

Belmonte said he saw Helena charging on the first pitch to Bargas and decided that, the way Bargas stings the ball, all he'd need would be a harsh grounder to get past the tightened-up infield.

"I thought about bunting," said Bargas, "and he wanted me to hit. I've got to respect his decision. He figured I'd get a good pitch because they wanted the out. I was lucky to get one in the right spot." He emphasized the "lucky" part - the Traps play Helena tonight, Thursday and Friday in Derks.

Reliever Dave Alexander picked up the win with three strong innings capped by a second-to-short-to-home double play in the top of the 13th. "He did a super job, showed us he can do it in crucial situations," said Belmonte. "He was ahead in the count and made them go after his pitch."

The Trappers have played some odd games the past week, and this one fit the pattern. Helena shortstop Mike Carter got ejected for protesting a close play at first in the top of the first inning, forcing Manager Gary Calhoun to scramble his defensive alignment before it took the field.

Trapper Willie Ambos returned the favor in the seventh, ejected for griping about pitch calls. "A rookie mistake," said the third-year pitcher, who had a six-hit, two-run game going. Not his best - but under control. After striking out Vince Castaldo for the third out of the seventh, Ambos got after the umpire. "His strike zone was like threading a needle," Ambos said. "My emotions took over."

As soon as Ambos left, Helena put together the tying run, Gary Boone pitching to two batters, and Pat Jurrado relieving him with one on via an error and one on via a hit batsman. Belmonte changed to get a right-hander against Tim Carter, who singled up the middle anyway to drive in the tying run.

The Trappers got out of that inning and the next with bases loaded each time because Jurrado threw what would have been wild pitches but weren't because they resulted in third outs.

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In the eighth, catcher Kevin McMullan raced to the backstop to retrieve a wild pitch and threw to Jurrado, who tagged out Leon Glenn trying to take home. In the ninth, bases full, Carter struck out on a pitch into the dirt that eluded McMullan. McMullan threw to first to make sure of the last out as a runner crossed the plate uncounted.

Helena, too, was venturesome in the field, throwing out Danny Montes at home as the Traps tried a delayed double steal in the second after scoring their second and third runs - that's right, they didn't score again until the 13th.

The Brewers also threw out Tom Duffin at home in the fifth, caught Bargas in a rundown in the seventh and made back-to-back fielding gems in the 10th.

Bargas with five hits and Helena's Mike Couture, with three including a triple, were the big hitters. Gordon Powell homered for Helena's first run in the fourth in his first at-bat after replacing the ejected Carter.

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