Fargo-Moorhead 7, Sioux Falls 3 – Box
Fargo-Moorhead scored four runs in the ninth inning to break a 3-3 tie and defeat the Sioux Falls Canaries by a 7-3 score. The RedHawks pounded out 13 hits in the contest with four players having multi-hit games. Fargo-Moorhead 1B Trever Adams led the way going 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and a RBI. RedHawks C Charlie Valerio added a solo shot in the second inning in a 3-for-5 night while RF K.D. Kang contributed two hits and a run batted in. Fargo-Moorhead pitcher Casey Weathers tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief and picked up his fourth victory. Weathers allowed two hits and struck out three batters. In total, RedHawks pitching fanned 17 Sioux Falls hitters including 13 by starter Tyler Alexander.
Gary SouthShore 5, Lincoln 4 – Box
Gary SouthShore scored a pair of runs in both the eighth and ninth innings to erase a 3-1 deficit and beat the Lincoln Saltdogs by the score of 5-4. The big victory by the RailCats keeps them a half-game ahead of Kansas City and a 1 ½ games up on Fargo-Moorhead in the race for the wild card. Gary SouthShore DH Colin Willis led the way offensively going 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. RailCats leadoff hitter Alex Crosby picked up a run and a RBI in a 1-for-3 day while CF/RF Joey Havrilak and 2B/PH Andy DeJesus each had a hit and a run scored. Gary SouthShore pitcher Sam Myers tossed two shutout innings of relief to earn his first victory. Myers gave up a hit and struck two in the seven batters faced.
Winnipeg 5, Sioux City 3 – Box
Right fielder David Rohm launched a solo home run in the fifth inning to give Winnipeg a 4-2 lead and that proved to be the difference in the contest as they defeated Sioux City by the score of 5-3. Three batters had multi-hit games for the Goldeyes including Rohm who went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI. Winnipeg 2B Casey Turgeon had two hits in three at-bats along with a RBI and a run scored while LF Josh Romanski drove in two runs in a 2-for-4 night. Winnipeg starting pitcher Kevin McGovern gave up two earned runs on four hits in seven innings of work to earn the win. McGovern allowed four walks to go along with four strikeouts. The southpaw is now 11-3 on the season.
St. Paul 3, Wichita 1 – Box
The St. Paul Saints scored all three of their runs in the first inning to grab a 3-0 lead and would make it hold up the rest of the way as they beat Wichita by a 3-1 score. St. Paul had seven hits in the contest and was led by DH Brady Shoemaker who went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run. Saints LF Tony Thomas had a pair of hits in three at-bats while both RF Tim Colwell and 1B Dan Johnson each scored a run. St. Paul starter Mark Hamburger was terrific once again as he tossed a complete game to notch his league leading 13th victory of the season. Hamburger gave up an earned run on six hits and struck out four batters in 120 pitches. For Wichita in the losing effort, C Martin Medina went 1-for-4 and scored the team’s lone run.
Texas 4, Salina 0 – Box
Texas starting pitcher Jared Mortensen and two relievers combined on a five-hit shutout as the AirHogs defeated Salina, 4-0. Mortensen went the first seven innings of the contest allowing the five hits while striking out 10 batters in the 100-pitch effort. The bullpen duo of Luis De La Cruz and Mario Mendoza each threw a scoreless inning of relief and collected a strikeout apiece. Mortensen notched the victory and is now 8-1 on the season. Offensively for Texas, SS Casio Grider led the way going 3-for-4 with two triples, a run scored and a RBI. AirHogs 1B Jake Taylor contributed a pair of doubles and a run in a 3-for-4 game while C Ryan Wagner had a hit and a run scored.
Kansas City 4, Cleburne 2 – Box
Kansas City scored all four of their runs in the first inning and held off a late Cleburne rally to defeat the Railroaders by a 4-2 final. The win by the T-Bones kept them only a ½ game behind Gary SouthShore in the wild card chase. Kansas City had seven hits in the game with three of them coming off the bat of LF Dexter Kjerstad who went 3-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI. T-Bones RF Chantz Mack drove in a pair of runs in a 1-for-3 night while leadoff hitter Cedric Hunter and 2B Marcus Lemon each collected a hit and a run. T-Bones starter Alex Blackford threw six shutout innings en route to his first victory of the season. Blackford allowed two walks and four hits to go along with four strikeouts.
Fans can watch all American Association games live and for free at www.americanassociationbaseball.tv.