Texas 6, St. Paul 3 – Box Score
The Texas AirHogs (8-28) put together a wild ninth inning rally to beat the St. Paul Saints 6-3.
The Saints built an early lead with a three-run home run from DH Brady Shoemaker (3-for-3). RF Stewart Ijames responded with a lead-off home run in the top of the second but the Saints held the 3-1 lead until the top of the ninth.
In the ninth, DH Jonathan Moroney hit a lead-off triple and scored when 3B Luo Jinjun singled two batters later. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, 1B/2B Josh Prince (2-for-4) singled to left field to plate two runs and give his team the lead. After a pitching change, 2B/LF Li Ning singled to center to scored Prince and C Luan Chenchen, giving the AirHogs a three-run lead.
Reliever Ryan Smith issued a walk but no hits in the bottom of the ninth to seal the win.
Sioux City 6, Winnipeg 5 – Box Score
A pivotal eighth-inning run made the difference as the Sioux City Explorers edged the Winnipeg Goldeyes 6-5.
The Goldeyes went to work early as LF Tyler Hill (2-for-4) hit a two-run home run in the second at-bat of the game. SS Wes Darvill added a sac fly later I the inning to give Winnipeg a quick 3-0 lead. In the bottom half, SS Nate Samson (3-for-5) put the Explorers on the board with an RBI single. Sioux City tied the game in the second as LF Sebastian Zawada (2-for-3) hit an RBI single and 2B Drew Stankiewicz scored when CF Kyle Wren reached on a fielder’s choice.
In the fifth, 3B Dominic Fiociello (2-for-4) hit a two-run home run to push the Goldeyes back in front but a triple from DH Dexture McCall (2-for-4) in the home half of the inning tied things back up.
In the eighth, Zawada scored on a single from Samson for what turned out to be the game-winning run.
Cleburne 7, Lincoln 4 – Box Score
The Cleburne Railroaders (17-20) took the opening game of their series with the Lincoln Saltdogs 7-4.
Cleburne jumped off to a quick start as CF Zach Nehrir stole home in the first and DH Nick Rotola (3-for-4), LF K.C. Huth (2-for-3) and SS Daniel Robertson (2-for-5) hit back-to-back-to-back RBI base hits in the second. The Railroaders added three more runs in the fourth as Huth and Nehrir added RBIs and Robertson scored on a pass ball.
For the Saltdogs, DH Curt Smith (2-for-5) had an RBI single in the fifth and 3B Christian Ibarra (2-for-4) and 1B Cody Regis each had solo home runs in the seventh.
Fargo-Moorhead 5, Sioux Falls 3 – Box Score
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (23-14) held off the Sioux City Canaries to snag a 5-3 win.
DH Chris Jacobs (2-for-4) plated the game’s opening run with an RBI single in the first inning and LF Brennan Metzger (2-for-5), who scored the first run, added two more runs with a double in the second. The Canaries scored in the bottom of the second as 3B Mitch Glasser (2-for-4) singled home SS Andrew Ely (2-for-4). The RedHawks scored two crucial runs late as 2B T.J. Bennett (2-for-4) scored when 3B Joe Becht hit into a double play in the sixth, and CF Devan Ahart scored when Bennett reached on an error in the eighth.
In the bottom of the frame, LF Kevin Taylor (2-for-4) had an RBI single and SS Andrew Ely (2-for-4) had an RBI double in the ninth but the Canaries wouldn’t get any closer.
Milwaukee 8, Gary SouthShore 2 – Box Score
The Milwaukee Milkmen (16-21) plated three runs in the first inning and never trailed as they topped the Gary SouthShore RailCats 8-2, securing the franchise’s first home win at Routine Field.
The first two Milkmen batters of the game each reached base with hits and CF Cesar Valera (2-for-5) scored the first run on a sac fly from C Manuel Boscon. 2B Garrett Copeland (2-for-3) scored when 3B Jose Rosario (2-for-4) doubled and Rosario scored on an LF Adam Walker (2-for-4) single. Copeland added a two-run home run in the seventh and the Milkmen tacked on three more runs in the eighth to put things well out of reach.
The RailCats’ runs came on a solo shot from 2B Andy DeJesus in the third inning and on an error in the seventh.
Starting pitcher Kurt Heyer went the distance for the Milkmen, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits while striking out seven batters.
