Ferguson ties record with six hits

Tim Ferguson's professional career is 20 games old, but he's already made history.

Ferguson went 6-for-6 to tie the Pioneer League record for hits in a game and scored the winning run in the 11th inning Wednesday as the Idaho Falls Chukars outlasted the Billings Mustangs, 6-5.

After leading off the bottom of the first inning with a single, the Royals' 10th-round pick in last month's Draft, doubled home a run in the second.

Ferguson doubled again in the fourth and seventh, scoring four batters later to give Idaho Falls a 5-4 lead. After his third single of the night, the University of Mississippi product was stranded in the ninth.

Ferguson came up again in the 11th against Mustangs reliever Josh Smith (0-1) and stroked a one-out single to left field to tie the record set by Provo teammates Ryan Leahy and Sean Rodriguez in the same game on July 16, 2004.

Casper's Seth Smith also collected six hits against Idaho Falls on August 10, 2004.

Ferguson raced to third on a base hit by Justin Trapp and, after Yowill Espinal was intentionally walked, scored on a forceout by Murray Watts to give the Chukars their second straight walk-off win.

A 21-year-old outfielder from Beaumont, Texas, Ferguson was mired in an 0-for-10 slump heading into Wednesday's game. The perfect night at the plate raised his average 51 points to .333.

Matt Morizio (1-1) struck out two and walked one in a hitless 11th for the victory.