Texas 7, St. Paul 6 (11 Innings) — Box Score
The St. Paul Saints forced extra innings with a run in the top of the ninth but the Texas AirHogs earned a 7-6 walk-off win in the 11th with an RBI single from C Ryan Wagoner.
Texas led 6-5 moving into the ninth inning but 3B J.J. Gould changed that with one swing as his solo home run knotting things up and forced extra innings. The AirHogs nearly ended things in the 10th as RF Song Yunqi made it all the way to third base but a fly out to the third baseman ended the threat. In the 11th, 1B Chu Fujia hit a leadoff single and then stole second to move into scoring position. Wagoner singled for his only hit of the game but it came at the perfect time, lifting the AirHogs to the win.
Fujia and Yunqi each had strong games at the plate as they both recorded three hits and Fujia scored three times. 3B Stewart Ijames added a pair of hits and an RBI. For the Saints, 1B Jayce Boyd went 3-for-6 with an RBI and a run score.
Cleburne 4, Wichita 3 — Box Score
The Cleburne Railroaders broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the eighth inning and took a 4-3 win against the Wichita Wingnuts 4-3.
Cleburne tallied a pair of runs in the top of the first inning, the first coming on a wild pitch and the second coming as DH Patrick Palmeiro popped a sac fly to center field. Wichita leveled the score in the third on back-to-back RBIs from CF Logan Watkins and 2B Ryne Willard. The Wingnuts edged in front in the fifth with a sacrifice fly from 1B Abel Nieves but the Railroaders erased that lead in the top of the sixth after SS Alex Polston (2-for-4) scored as LF Trevor Sealey (1-for-3) reached on an error.
The difference-making run came in the top of the eighth as C Blake Grant-Parks (1-for-1) scored an unearned run as Sealey singled.
Sioux City 5, Kansas City 4 — Box Score
The Kansas City T-Bones fought their way out of an early hole but the Sioux City Explorers held on late for a 5-4 win.
The Explorers took the lead in the first inning when LF Luis Durango scored as SS Nate Samson (3-for-4) bounced out. In the fourth, Sioux City added two more runs when Samson scored as DH Dexture McCall grounded out and 2B Jose Sermo scored when 3B Jay Baum reached on an error. Both teams scored in the sixth and the T-Bones tied the game in the seventh thanks to a three-run home run from LF Dexter Kjerstad (2-for-4).
Durango scored what turned out to be the game-winning run on a single from Samson in the bottom of the seventh.
Gary SouthShore 7, Chicago 6 (Game 1 – 7 Innings) — Box Score
The Gary SouthShore RailCats slid past the Chicago Dogs 7-6 in an action packed opening act of Thursday’s doubleheader at U.S. Steel Yard.
There was at least one run scored in each of the seven innings but the bottom of the sixth was ultimately the deciding factor. Chicago led 5-3 going into the frame but the RailCats scored four crucial runs to take the lead. 1B Andy Paz doubled home the first run of the inning and OF D.K. Carey, who homered earlier in the game, scored after two pitching changes by the Dogs when SS Andy DeJesus singles. Paz and 1B/3B Alex Crosby scored when 2B/3B Mitch Glasser singled to right field with two outs.
3B Matt Dean (2-for-4) singled to center allowing 1B Trey Vavra (2-for-3) to score in the top of the seventh and that pulled the Dogs within one run but C Wilfredo Rodriguez flew out in the next at bat to end the rally and the game.
Gary SouthShore 5, Chicago 5 (Game 2 – Suspended after 10 Innings)
In the second game of their double header, the Gary SouthShore RailCats and the Chicago Dogs were still tied at 5-5 after 10 innings when the league’s curfew rule suspended play. The game will be completed at a date to be announced.
Lincoln 8, Winnipeg 2 (Game 1 – 7 Innings) — Box Score
The Lincoln Saltdogs trailed heading into the final two innings in the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader with the Winnipeg Goldeyes. But six runs in the top of the seventh inning made the difference as Lincoln won 8-2.
Winnipeg took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning as CF Reynaldo Rodriguez tripled home Grant Heyman and then scored when C Kevin Garcia lifted a sac fly later in the inning. The Saltdogs tied things up in the top of the sixth inning after DH/RF Curt Smith reached base with a fielder’s choice and an error allowed SS Christian Ibarra and CF Chad Hinshaw to score.
In the seventh, Hinshaw tripled to plate three runs, giving Lincoln the lead. Hinshaw scored in the next at-bat as 2B/RF Angel Reyes flew out to left and LF Brandon Jacobs put a bow on the win with a two-run home run later in the frame.
Lincoln 8, Winnipeg 2 (Game 2 – 7 Innings) — Box Score
After finishing game one with an offensive outburst, the Lincoln Saltdogs kept that momentum going at the start of game two and scored five first-inning runs. The Saltdogs went on to capture the second game of the twinbill with Winnipeg by the same 8-2 score as game one.
DH Curt Smith opened the scoring with a three-run home run in the top of the first inning and after a single from 1B Nathaniel Maggio (2-for-4) in the next-at bat, LF Brandon Jacobs (2-for-3) left the yard as well to put the Saltdogs up 5-0. DH Gavin Stupienski drew one back in the second with an RBI single and 3B Josh Mazzola hit a solo shot of his own in the fourth but Lincoln’s early lead proved insurmountable.
2B Ivan Marin hit a solo home run of his own in the top of the fourth inning and CF Chad Hinshaw pushed another pair of runs across in the seventh with a single.
