Milwaukee 5, Cleburne 2 – Box Score
The Milwaukee Milkmen powered past the Cleburne Railroaders on the shoulders of 2B Miguel Gomez and took the first game of the East Division Championship Series by a score of 5-2.
The Milkmen took the early lead as Gomez (3-for-4) hit solo home runs in the second and fourth innings to give Milwaukee a 2-0 lead. In the top of the eighth, Gomez singled to score both CF Bryan Torres and 3B Logan Trowbridge. SS Jeremiah Burks also scored on the play as a result of an error and that gave the Milkmen a 5-0 lead.
The Railroaders plated a pair of run in the final run frames thanks to 3B Chase Simpson (2-for-4) and LF Chuck Taylor but couldn’t complete the comeback.
Starting pitcher A.J. Schugel earned the win as he went six scoreless innings and gave up just four hits while striking out six batters. Reliever Ben Holmes bagged the save for recording a pair of outs in the ninth inning
Game two is set for Wednesday, September 14 at Franklin Field.
Kansas City 5, Fargo-Moorhead 2 – Box Score
The Kansas City Monarchs scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning to take a 1-0 lead in the West Division Championship Series against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.
Kansas City scored the first run of the game in the top of the fourth when RF Jan Hernandez scored on a fielder’s choice from DH Gio Brusa. The RedHawks tied the score in the sixth when LF Alec Olund (2-for-4) singled to allow 3B Leobaldo Pina (2-for-5) to score and they took the lead in the next frame after RF John Silviano (2-for-4) singled home DH Drew Ward.
In the top of the ninth, Hernandez and 1B Casey Gillaspie (2-for-3) drew one-out walks and SS Pete Kozma singled to score Hernandez and tie the score. Two batters later, C/PH J.C. Escarra (1-for-1) hit a three-run home run to give the Monarchs a 5-2 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, reliever Alex Valdez came on to pitch and struck out the first two batters and, after giving up a single to Ward, forced Pina into a fly out to center to end the contest.
Valdez earned the save on the night and reliever Brian Glowicki picked up the win for working the eighth inning.
Game two of the best of three series is set for Wednesday, September 14 at Legends Field.
