Sioux City 5, Fargo-Moorhead 1 – Box
In a game with great performances by both starting pitchers, the Sioux City Explorers received better run support to beat the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 5-1. Starter Patrick Johnson had a very quality start after pitching seven innings, allowing just one run and striking out 10. David Herndon came on in relief and got the save with two scoreless innings. CF Matty Johnson and RF Brent Keys led the Explorers with two hits each.
Fargo-Moorhead starting pitcher Brandon Mann pitched seven innings and allowed just three earned runs, and he also struck out an astounding 12 batters, but the RedHawks couldn’t provide run support. The lone run for Fargo-Moorhead came from a LF Chad Mozingo RBI single in the sixth inning.
Quebec 3, Wichita 2 (11 Innings) – Box
The Quebec Capitales walked off with a 3-2 win over the Wichita Wingnuts thanks to a sacrifice fly from C Jean-Luc Blaquiere. In the bottom of the 11th inning, the Capitales had CF Kalian Sams on second base due to league rules. Sams moved to third on a putout, and then the sacrifice brought Sams home to break the stalemate. Earlier in the game, Quebec scored first with a solo homer from 3B Josue Peley, and then scored a second run on a wild pitch. Wichita scored twice in the seventh inning with a RBI doubles from 3B T.J. Mittelstaedt and DH Brent Dean.
Both starting pitchers, Sheldon McDonald for Quebec and Scott Richmond for Wichita, pitched seven innings and allowed two earned runs.
Amarillo 4, Laredo 3 – Box
A three-run homer from LF Geraldo Valentin spurred the Amarillo Thunderheads to a 4-3 win over the Laredo Lemurs. The Valentin blast came in the fourth inning to put Amarillo up 4-0, which would be all the runs it needed. That’s in part because of the strong pitching by the Thunderheads. Starter Leondy Perez picked up the win with a quality start, and Mark Haynes, Richard Barrett and Randy Hamrick each pitched a scoreless inning to close out the game.
DH Denis Phipps hit a three-run homer of his own for Laredo, but that would be the only runs of the game for the Lemurs. Reliever Willy Paredes also played well with three scoreless innings pitched.
Winnipeg 9, Gary SouthShore 5 – Box
The Winnipeg Goldeyes jumped out to a quick start and never looked back, as they defeated the Gary SouthShore RailCats 9-5. In the first inning, the Goldeyes scored three runs with a 1B Casey Haerther RBI single, 3B Josh Mazzola RBI double and a fielder’s choice. In the third inning, Winnipeg added another run with CF Reggie Abercrombie’s solo homer. Winnipeg added a few more runs throughout the game, and capped it off with two more in the ninth from 2B Brad Boyer’s two-RBI single.
The RailCats scored twice in the seventh inning with RBI doubles from CF Brandon Thomas and 3B J.D. Pulfer. 2B Alex Hernandez led Gary SouthShore with a 2-for-2 performance and two runs.
Grand Prairie 8, Sioux Falls 7 – Box
The Grand Prairie AirHogs rallied with four unanswered runs late in the game and walked off with an 8-7 win over the Sioux Falls Canaries. RF Ronnie Richardson’s two-run homer got the ball rolling for the AirHogs down 7-4 in the seventh inning. CF Jordy Hart’s RBI single tied the game in the eighth inning. Then in the ninth, Richardson singled to get on base, and a mix of wild pitches and error allowed him to score and win the game for Grand Prairie. Richardson finished the game 4-for-5 with three runs and two RBIs.
RF Chris Grayson and LF Brian Humphries both led the Canaries with three hits. Grayson also had two runs and one RBI, while Humphries also had three RBIs.
St. Paul 9, Lincoln 2 – Box
The St. Paul Saints scored seven runs in the first inning and cruised to a 9-2 win over the Lincoln Saltdogs. 1B Angelo Songco did his job as the cleanup man by hitting a three-run homer in the first inning. 3B Steve Nikorak and 2B Dan Kaczrowski hit RBI singles, and two runs also came in on an SS Anthony Phillips double. To go along with the great offense was the great pitching of St. Paul starter Kramer Sneed. He pitched seven innings and didn’t allow a run, and he also struck out six.
The Saltdogs scored both of their runs in the eighth inning. That’s when 2B Aaron Payne scored on a wild pitch, and SS Mike Gilmartin sacrificed himself to bring in the other run.
Joplin 5, Kansas City 3 (10 Innings) – Box
The Joplin Blasters scored twice in the 10th inning to take the 5-3 win over the Kansas City T-Bones. With the score tied going to extras, Maikol Gonzalez hit an RBI double for the go-ahead run, and then Jairo Perez hit an RBI single for the insurance run. Winston Abreu, who pitched the final two innings for Joplin, struck out five, including the side in the bottom of the 10th.
Earlier in the game, Joplin and Kansas City were trading runs back and forth. Joplin scored twice with a two-run shot from Perez, and then Adam Bailey came back with a two-run home run for the T-Bones. In the fifth, Joplin scored once and Kansas City came back with one as well.
