DockHounds 4, Goldeyes 6 – Boxscore
The Winnipeg Goldeyes (39-28) beat the Lake Country DockHounds 6-4 at Shaw Park on Saturday night.
The Goldeyes took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Ian Sagdal singled to centre with one out. Raul Navarro followed with a bloop single to centre that extended his hitting streak to 20 games. After Max Murphy was hit by a pitch to load the bases, David Washington hit a sacrifice fly in foul territory in the left field corner to plate Sagdal.
In the bottom of the second, Hidekel Gonzalez and Kevin Lachance hit back-to-back one-out singles. Eric Rivera walked to load the bases, and the Goldeyes took a 2-0 lead when Sagdal ripped a single through the right side that scored Gonzalez. Navarro followed with a sacrifice fly to right that plated Lachance.
Lake Country (24-43) pulled within 3-2 in the top of the fifth. Daikan Yoh singled to centre leading off and scored from first on Jordan Schaffer’s double to left. Two batters later, Schaffer scored on a Giovanni Brusa sacrifice fly to centre.
The Goldeyes re-extended the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth on solo home runs from Navarro and Washington.
Reggie Pruitt Jr. ripped a solo shot to left leading off the bottom of the eighth to make it 6-2.
The DockHounds scratched out a two-out run in the top of the ninth on a single from Jake Snider before Tasker Strobel entered from the bullpen and recorded the final out of the game to earn his league-leading 19th save.
RJ Martinez (7-4) picked up the win in relief, pitching the third, fourth, and fifth innings. Jhon Vargas started for the Goldeyes as an opener and pitched two scoreless innings.
DockHounds’ starter Alex McRae (3-3) took the loss, allowing five earned runs on eight hits in four and one-third innings. McRae walked two and struck out four.
Alex Hart pitched two scoreless innings in relief for the Goldeyes.
Monarchs 3, Canaries 0 – Boxscore
The Kansas City Monarchs (45-22) stayed dominant over the Canaries from Sioux Falls (24-41), completing the combined shutout behind a strong performance from starter Nick Belzer and a dominant showing from the bullpen. Belzer went four innings, allowing no runs but recording no strikeouts before a new Monarch would toe the rubber each inning for the rest of the game, shutting the Canaries out 3-0.
Monarchs starting pitcher Nick Belzer took a moment to get settled in in this one, allowing a double and a walk to the first two batters. Fortunately for Belzer and the Monarchs, he knows how to time his double play balls, as a 6-4-3 double play helped him escape the inning unscathed.
Belzer and Sioux Falls starter Cesilio Pimentel would then both trade 1-2-3 innings through the top of the third. The streak would be broken by Belzer’s allowing another two-baserunner inning when John Nester and Osvaldo Martinez hit back-to-back singles. Again, Belzer would work his way out of it by way of the ground ball with back-to-back ground ball outs, escaping once again scoreless.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Canaries offense would again show some life with a single and a double, putting runners at the corners with two away, but Sioux Falls’ Kona Quiggle would end the inning with a foul out.
The fifth inning marked the end of the road for Belzer, as Brian Glowicki would begin the fifth on the bump, ending Belzer’s night with four innings pitched, five hits, no runs, and no strikeouts. Glowicki’s entrance would mark the beginning of a dominant night for the Monarchs bullpen, as he retired the side in four batters to send the game to the sixth, where the Monarchs bats would finally come to life.
It began with a single from Willie Abreu, turning the lineup over to the top for leadoff hitter Darnell Sweeney, who would then rope a double to right field, putting runners at second and third with no outs for Kevin Santa. Santa didn’t have to take the bat off his shoulder to give the Monarchs the first lead of the game, however, as Abreu came across the plate on a wild pitch from Pimentel, advancing Sweeney to third. After a Santa strikeout, slugger David Thompson stepped up and whacked a double to left field, scoring Sweeney and making the score 2-0 Kansas City.
Back-to-back walks from the next two batters, Matt Adams and Casey Gillaspie, brought newly-converted first baseman J.C. Escarra to the batter’s box in a bases loaded, one out situation, where he would become the third straight Monarch to be awarded a free pass, scoring Thompson. This would be the last straw for Pimentel, as he was taken out for relief pitcher Stevie Ledesma, who would promptly strike out the next two Monarchs, turning the inning over with the score 3-0 Kansas City.
Brock Gilliam, Brandon Koch, and Jeremy Rhoades would take over in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, respectively, and allow a combined one baserunner, and Koch would strike out the side in order. This brought the Monarchs to the ninth inning ahead 3-0, where closer Jameson McGrane would Zane Gurwitz, Jabari Henry, and Gavin LaValley in order, securing his 14th save, the combined shutout, and the sixth straight win for the Monarchs.
Dogs 2, Explorers 4 – Boxscore
No late inning comebacks were needed as the Sioux City Explorers led wire to wire and secured the series win over the Chicago Dogs by a final score of 4-2.
In the second, the X’s put their first run on the board. Ademar Rifeala singled to left field to bring home Gabe Snyder who led off the inning by being hit by the pitch.
Sioux City added onto their lead in the fifth when Danny Amaral lined one to left field for a base hit, it was misplayed for a two base error that allowed two runs to score. Amaral scored on Blake Tiberi’s RBI single to put Sioux City ahead 4-0.
That is all the offense X’s starter Patrick Ledet (3-3) needed. The all-star was in command for seven innings as he allowed just two runs on six hits with one walk and two strikeouts. It was the fifth time Ledet has gone seven innings this season.
Chicago’s only two runs of the ball game came in the seventh. Anfernee Grier who led off with a single scored from first on Connor Kopach’s double to left. Kopach later scored on a sacrifice fly to pull the Dogs to 4-2.
AJ Kullman (6-6) took the loss as he went six innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits, he walked one and struck out one.
The Explorers bullpen once again shut down Chicago as Max Kuhns and Thomas McIlraith (15) collected the final six outs with each pitching an inning and McIlraith earning the save by striking out the side in the ninth.
Milkmen 2, Cougars 5 – Boxscore
Kane County Cougars starting pitcher Westin Muir racked up a career high eight strikeouts and allowed just one earned run over six innings, helping the Cougars to a 5-2 victory over the Milwaukee Milkmen in front of 7,038 fans on Saturday night at Northwestern Medicine Field.
In just his third career start, Muir (2-0) twired a gem. The right-hander allowed just one earned run on five hits and only surrendered one walk against the eight punch outs. The St. Charles North High School product earned his second straight victory in a starting role.
The Cougars (34-34) jumped out to an early lead against Milwaukee (35-32) starter Christian Young (2-3). After Galli Cribbs singled, Jimmy Kerrigan blasted a two-run homer down the left field line to put Kane County ahead 2-0. It was Kerrigan’s league-leading 24th home run of the season.
After Muir cruised through the first two innings, Milwaukee got on the board in the top of the third. Christ Conley led off the inning with a single before Bryan Torres hit another single two batters later to put runners at first and second. Following the two singles, Correlle Prime hit a single into left field that was misplayed by Cornelius Randolph, allowing both runs to score and tie the game at two.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Kane County regained the lead. To lead off the inning, Kerrigan drew a walk and Dylan Busby doubled to put runners at second and third. With Sherman Johnson at the plate, Milwaukee catcher Christ Conley tried to pick off Kerrigan at third, but his throw got away into left field allowing Kerrigan and Busby to score and push the lead to 4-2.
Kane County added another run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single by Alexis Pantoja. In relief of Muir, Jack Anderson tossed two scoreless innings with two strikeouts and allowed just one hit. Ryan Richardson earned his fourth save of the season by pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
RedHawks 3, Saltdogs 2 – Boxscore
Zach Keenan allowed one earned run over seven innings, but the Lincoln Saltdogs lost 3-2 to the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in 10 innings at Haymarket Park on Saturday night.
Keenan tied a season high with seven innings pitched, but Evan Alexander’s one-out RBI single in the 10th inning was the difference Fargo-Moorhead series-tying win.
The RedHawks (43-24) took a 1-0 lead on Peter Maris’s sacrifice fly in the 1st, an unearned run scored by Alexander after he led off the game with a bunt single and advanced to third on a two-base throwing error from catcher Bobby Barnard.
Fargo-Moorhead added to the lead on Sam Dexter’s RBI single in the 4th, but the Saltdogs (32-36) tied the game with two runs in the bottom-half. Jason Rogers drove in his seventh run in five games with an RBI single before Josh Altmann tied the game with an RBI groundout.
The game remained tied through nine innings. In the 10th, after a sacrifice bunt from Christian Correa advanced ghost runner Sam Dexter, Alexander broke the tie with a single to right-center off Matt Cronin, pitching his second inning in relief.
Lincoln had a chance to tie the game in the bottom-half. With Randy Norris on second as the international tiebreaker, Patrick Caulfield laid down a bunt to the right side. Fielded by 1B Manual Boscan, the throw to third was wide of Leo Pina and escaped down the left-field line. Norris – after getting tangled up with Pina – tried to score on the play and was thrown out at home by LF Rymer Liriano.
The ‘Dogs ended up loading the bases with one out, but Rayder Ascanio struck out and Ryan Long bounced into a fielder’s choice to end the game.
RailCats 10, Railroaders 9 – Boxscore
The Railroaders got out ahead 8-3 after two innings on Saturday night from The Depot at Cleburne Station, but Gary SouthShore scratched and clawed their way back and came all the way from behind five with seven unanswered to defeat the Railroaders 10-9.
Cleburne starter Garrett Alexander struggled throughout the night including in the first inning. The RailCats fired off three runs in the first to take the quick lead, highlighted by a Michael Woodworth two-run blast.
But in an unusual turn of events, the ‘Roaders struck for seven in the bottom half of the inaugural frame to storm back into the game.
All the runs came with two outs off RailCats’ starter Harrison Francis, and it started with a Zach Nehrir single. Chase Simpson doubled him to home to get the first run across for Cleburne. Kacy Clemens drew a walk and then Hill Alexander tied the ball game with a line drive into the alley that brought both Simpson and Clemens to the plate. Hector Sanchez got in on the doubles parade with one of his own to knock in Alexander to give Cleburne the 4-3 lead. Jacob Bockelie grounded one down the line for the Railroaders’ fourth double of the inning, one that scored Sanchez to make it 5-3. Nick Shumpert reached on an infield single and that brought Edwin Arroyo into the batter’s box. He singled to center, driving home both Bockelie and Shumpert, and all of a sudden, the Railroaders were ahead 7-3.
They padded onto that advantage in the second when Nehrir blasted one up the tollway to make it 8-3. That home run would be the last hit for Cleburne until the eighth inning.
Slowly but surely, the RailCats got their way back into the ballgame. In the top of the fourth, Tom Walraven and Nate Scantlin scored on another clutch Woodworth hit, this one a single that brought the deficit down to 8-5 for Gary SouthShore. One more run came across off Garrett Alexander when Jesus Marriaga hit a single to drive in Woodworth. That base knock chased Alexander from the game and Josh Lucas’ name was called to try and shut it down. Before he was able to get out of the inning, he surrendered a single by Victor Nova that brought in a run and shrunk the lead to one for Cleburne.
Gary SouthShore knotted it up in the next inning when Woodworth struck for his fifth RBI of the night.
No one struck for any runs until the seventh. After an error by Simpson extended the inning for the RailCats, LG Castillo singled two runners across to give Gary SouthShore a 10-8 advantage.
Cleburne got one of those runs back in the bottom of the eighth when Bockelie doubled and then Arroyo grounded a bounding ball into center field that scored the Railroaders’ catcher.
With the score at 10-9 heading into the bottom of the ninth, the RailCats turned to Yeison Medina to shut down the ‘Roaders. He did just that, retiring the side to end the game and give the RailCats their third victory of the six-game series.
Brendan Bell picked up the loss for the Railroaders, his first of the year. He went one inning and allowed two runs (both unearned) on two hits. Aaron Phillips was the winner for the RailCats. He went two-thirds of an inning of scoreless work.
The game was played in a whopping four hours and fifteen minutes, the longest nine-inning affair the Railroaders have played all season.
Another statistic of note, the RailCats broke the single-game record for stolen bases with their 15 stolen bases, breaking the previous mark of 12 which was set by the Railroaders just over a week ago against Gary SouthShore.
