The weather at Franklin Covey Field was perfect for Sunday afternoon's baseball game. But the brighter atmosphere in the Stingers' clubhouse after the game can probably be attributed to Salt Lake's 5-3 win over Colorado Springs that snapped a four-game losing streak.
Trailing 3-2 in the seventh inning, Gary Johnson led off with a single, moved to second on a fielder's choice and tied the game by scoring on DH Tom Gregorio's seeing-eye squibbler that evaded the glove of Colorado's third baseman and shortstop.
Patience at the plate helped Salt Lake's cause in the bottom of the eighth inning. Alex Pelaez doubled to right center with two outs and the Sky Sox elected to intentionally walk cleanup hitter Adam Riggs to get to Johnson.
Once he got on base, Riggs just kept on walking as Sky Sox reliever Alex Herrera (1-1) issued three more walks, scoring go-ahead runs by Pelaez and Riggs before Colorado Spring's Jason Gilfillan came in to get the last out.
Stinger reliever Matt Hensley picked up his second save of the year with a scoreless ninth inning. The win went to Scott Dunn (2-1), who gave up one hit in two innings after coming in in the top of the seventh. Hensly is hopeful the win will swing the Stingers' fortunes back the other way.
"We kind of hit a low but we've still got a lot of great players," he said. "We go through a lot of slides but it can slide back the other way pretty easily."
The victory was good news for Salt Lake manager Mike Brumley, who says there is no such thing as a bad win, especially one that helped the Stingers avoid tying their longest losing streak of the year and lifted some of the clouds over his head.
"Every win is a good win to take some of the stress off of us," Brumley said.
Brumley said he's stayed pretty positive through his club's struggles, but admits the losing streak had prompted him to do something he hadn't done since his playing days.
"I've started working out to try and relieve a little stress," he said.
Both clubs got decent innings from their starting pitchers. Colorado's Kevin Jarvis went seven innings and gave up three earned runs in his first start with the team since 2000.
Stinger starter Mike Brunet worked in and out of trouble, scattering nine hits and three runs through six innings and left with a one-run deficit.
Brumley was pleased with his starting pitching, he said. "Brunet battled them," he said. "He made enough quality pitches. We got some breaks. It's good that guys got some positive outings."
Salt Lake's Adam Pelaez hit his first home run of the year, an opposite field solo shot to right, in the first inning and Johnson parked another solo homer in almost the same spot in the second. After Johnson's blast, Jarvis settled in, retiring 10 Stingers in a row at one point, before giving up the tying run in the seventh.
The Stingers' win was just their sixth in the last 23 games. It was also just their second win in seven Sunday games.
Salt Lake will take on the Sky Sox again tonight at 6:30 in the third game of a four-game series.
E-mail: rburton@desnews.com