Amarillo 5, Laredo 4 – Box
Amarillo clinched a narrow 5-4 victory over division-leading opponent Laredo with a go-ahead home run in the eighth by 3B Brandon Jones (pictured)– his first of the season. RHP Erik Draxton came on to pitch for the Sox in the ninth inning and held onto the lead to secure Amarillo’s win and notch his second save of the season. SS KC Serna played a role in the win as well with two runs and two RBIs, one of which was the game-tying run in the sixth.
Laredo’s strong point of the game came in the fifth inning when it racked up five hits, including an RBI double from 1B Mike Sheridan that gave them the lead that they later relinquished.
Quebec 3, Kansas City 2 – Box
Quebec RHP Karl Gelinas did not allow any runs in his seven innings pitched, leading the Capitales to a 3-2 victory in an inter-league game against Kansas City. The win marks Quebec’s eighth straight and pushes them into an outright first place position in the league. Gelinas struck six batters out and now has not allowed any runs in his three games this season.
CF Asif Shah had two RBIs on a 1-for-3 batting night to help Quebec’s offense seal the win. C Josue Peley went 3-for-4 for the Capitales.
Kansas City RF Ray Sadler tried to ignite a comeback in the bottom of the ninth with a two-run home run with two outs. But the rally stopped there and Quebec escaped with a win.
Fargo-Moorhead 3, Winnipeg 1 – Box
Fargo-Moorhead outlasted Winnipeg in this low-scoring affair, defeating the Goldeyes 3-1 behind a strong pitching performance from LHP Jake Laber. Laber and Winnipeg starter LHP Mark Hardy entered the game with the two lowest earned-run averages in the league. Laber faced all but one batter in the game for the RedHawks and allowed just one run, keeping Winnipeg at bay and continuing his reign at the top of the league’s ERA charts.
Fargo-Moorhead SS Zach Penprase scored two runs for the RedHawks, going 1-for-2 at bat for the night.
Sioux City 6, Lincoln 3 – Box
A strong fifth inning from the Explorers gave them a lead that the Saltdogs could not overcome in this 6-3 Sioux City victory. The X’s notched four runs on four hits in the top of the fifth, establishing a 5-0 lead. CF Eliezer Mesa contributed to those early runs, scoring twice and hitting 3-for-5 in the game. Sioux City 1B Wally Backman and RF Pete Barrows, who hit a home run in the eighth, both had two RBIs.
LHP Richard Salazar earned his first win, earning just two runs in his 5.1 innings. Despite the loss, Lincoln RHP Joe Bisenius struck out 10 batters in his 7.0 innings.
St. Paul 8, Wichita 7 – Box
St. Paul survived a five-run eighth inning from the Wingnuts to defeat them 8-7, ending Wichita’s four-game winning streak. Both teams rode hot batting streaks that produced a number of solid batting performances. For the Saints, C Dwight Childs went 3-of-4, including a three-RBI double in the seventh that produced the game-winning run. 2B Brad Boyer had two doubles and two RBIs on a 3-for-5 night that earned him the current best batting average in the league.
Wingnuts 2B Jake Kahaulelio was 3-for-4 with two runs, including a home run in Wichita’s second at-bat of the game. LF Colt Loehrs was 3-for-5 in the game, including an RBI during Wichita’s eighth inning rally.
Sioux Falls 8, Gary SouthShore 3 – Box
The Canaries defeated the RailCats 8-3 after claiming a lead in the sixth and holding Gary SouthShore scoreless in the final four innings. Sioux Falls 1B Tim Pahuta sparked the sixth inning rally with a game-tying home run. Pahuta was 4-of-5 at bat with two runs and an RBI. RF Nate Baumann sealed the victory with a two-run home run in the ninth, capping off an excellent 4-for-5, two run performance of his own.
RailCats RF Cristian Guerrero hit a home run in the bottom of the fifth to give Gary SouthShore a temporary lead just before the Canaries came roaring back in the sixth.
El Paso 8, Grand Prairie 2 – Box
The Diablos got off to a scorching start and never let up, shutting down Grand Prairie in a sound 8-2 victory. El Paso’s first inning was a sign of more to come as its first four batters got on base and scored three runs. 3B Omar Luna starred at bat from the start, scoring in the first inning and notching an RBI in the second on his way to a 3-for-3 night with another run later in the eighth.
RF Edgar Corcino hit a home run in the fourth and DH Roberto Ramirez had a two-RBI triple in the fifth, adding to El Paso’s commanding lead.
AirHogs CF Keanon Simon managed to get his team on the board with an RBI double and a run of his own in the sixth. But those were the only two runs RHP Luis Chirinos allowed in his 7.0 innings on the way to his win for the Diablos.
