July 9 Night Recap
Fargo-Moorhead 6, Sioux City 5
Clutch hitting from Fargo-Moorhead CF Nic Jackson propelled the RedHawks to a five-run comeback in Tuesday night’s game. Jackson drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh with a two-out RBI single, scoring SS Zach Penprase (pictured). Relief pitcher Joe Harris (5-3) got the win, allowing just one hit in the game’s final three innings.
Sioux City took a 4-0 lead on RF Peter Barrows’ two-run homer in the third and scored another run in the fourth to make it 5-0, but the Explorers left Fargo-Moorhead with too much time to mount a come-from-behind victory.
The RedHawks scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game. Penprase hit a two-RBI double to cut the X’s lead to 5-2, and then LF Mitch Einertson singled home a third run. Jackson stepped to the plate next, and tied the game with a first-pitch home run. Jackson batted 2-for-4 with three RBI.
Sioux Falls 9, Lincoln 0
Canaries’ right-hander Kyle Ruwe tossed a complete-game, five-hit shutout, and his team backed him up with plenty of run support in a 9-0 win. Ruwe (5-5) struck out four and did not allow a walk in his second complete-game of the season.
CF Nick Van Stratten led off the game with a home run, and the Canaries tacked on two more in the first inning on LF JP Ramirez’s sacrifice fly and 3B Jared Clark’s solo home run. The Canaries scored four more runs in the second, including a two-RBI triple from Van Stratten. Van Stratten then singled in a run in the third to give the Canaries an 8-0 lead. He finished a double shy of the cycle, hitting 3-for-4 with two runs, three RBI and a hit by pitch. C Kevin Dultz also had three hits, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored, including a fifth-inning homer.
Wichita 8, Amarillo 5
Wichita scored six runs in the seventh and eighth innings to engineer an 8-5 come-from-behind victory against Amarillo. Trailing 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth, CF Brent Clevlen was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in a run and make it 5-2. The Wingnuts would strand the bases loaded in the fifth, but they would have more chances for runs.
In the seventh, the Wingnuts put up a four spot, taking a 6-5 lead on RBI doubles from DH John Rodriguez and Clevlen, another hit batsman and a sacrifice fly. The Wingnuts added two more in the eighth on a two-run homer by 2B Jake Kahaulelio. SS Ryan Khoury, Clevlen and Kahaulelio all scored two runs.
Five Wichita pitchers combined to beat the Sox with relief pitcher Nick Walters (1-1) picking up the win after allowing two hits in 1 1/3 innings. Closer Josh Dew earned his ninth save with a scoreless ninth.
Laredo 2, Newark 0
Despite strong starting pitching from both clubs, Laredo fought off the Bears for a 2-0 win. Laredo SS Jimmy Mojica pushed the first run of the game across in the third inning, driving in 2B Mike Provencher to give the Lemurs a 1-0 lead. 3B Garrett Buchele led off the seventh inning with a solo home run to give the Lemurs some insurance, and the back end of the Lemurs’ bullpen held off the Bears in the eighth and ninth.
Laredo left-hander Greg Wilborn (2-1) took home the win after shutting out the Bears for 6 2/3 innings. Wilborn struck out five and walked one. Closer Mark Haynes ended the Bears’ chances with a strikeout in the ninth for his third save. Newark starter Leonardo Giammanco (0-2) allowed just two runs on nine hits in seven innings in the loss.
Gary SouthShore 9, Winnipeg 8
Clutch hits in the eighth and ninth innings off the bat of Gary SouthShore’s 2B Daniel Pulfer thrust the RailCats past Winnipeg in a 9-8 slugfest. Pulfer smashed a two-run homer in the eighth and drove in the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly in the ninth. He batted 1-for-3 with a team-high four RBI. The RailCats trailed 7-1 in the top of the sixth, when 3B Brian Kolb doubled in two runs and later scored on a ground out to cut the Goldeyes lead in half, 7-4. The Goldeyes scored one in the bottom of the sixth, but RailCats’ CF Mike Massaro scored on a wild pitch in the seventh, and the RailCats tied the game in the eighth with three runs on Pulfer’s home run and an RBI single from Massaro.
RailCats relief pitcher Taylor Sewitt (3-0) notched the win with an inning of scoreless relief and Marco Gonzalez finished off the Goldeyes in the ninth with a strikeout and a double play.
Grand Prairie 12, El Paso 3
The AirHogs built a 4-0 lead in Tuesday night’s first five innings, and when El Paso scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth, Grand Prairie buried the Diablos under five more runs in the seventh on the way to a 12-3 win. Six AirHogs had multi-hit games, including 1B Andres Rodriguez and RF Kenny Held, who each had three hits. Rodriguez also had a two-run homer in the fifth inning. Rodriguez added a two-RBI single in the seventh and finished with a game-high five RBI. Other contributors for the AirHogs included SS Ryan Pineda, who batted 2-for-3 with three walks and four runs scored, and 3B Juan Richardson, who hit 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
For the Diablos, Jose Garcia went 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI.
On the mound, AirHogs’ starter Brandon Bargas (3-2) earned a win with 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball. He struck out three and walked two.
Photo courtesy of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
