Joplin 5, Wichita 2 – Box
The Joplin Blasters outlasted the Wichita Wingnuts 5-2 on Thursday night. After no runs by either team through 2 innings, Joplin began the scoring after an RBI-double by SS Maikol Gonzalez in the third inning. Two more doubles were hit in the fourth inning by the Blasters which helped extend the lead to 3-0. Gonzalez returned in the fifth inning to increase the lead with a solo home run, which was eventually followed by an RBI-single by LF Yasser Gomez to make it 5-0.
Wichita got on the scoreboard for the first time this season with a two-run home run by OF David Espinosa, but that was all the scoring for the Wingnuts. Joplin’s Gomez led the team by going 3-3 with one RBI, followed by Gonzalez who had two hits and two RBI.
Witchita’s C Brent Dean and OF Jayce Ray both had two hits. Wingnuts LHP Anthony Capra went 4.2 innings and struck-out six batters.
Grand Prairie 4, Winnipeg 1 – Box
The AirHogs held off the Goldeyes 4-1 on Opening Night. After three scoreless innings, Grand Prairie notched three runs in the fourth inning after an RBI double and a two-RBI single by RF Victor Ferrante.
Winnipeg added a run in the sixth inning with a 3B Josh Mazzola RBI-single, but that was all the scoring for the Goldeyes. Grand Prairie answered with an insurance run — an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Winnipeg notched four hits in the game while the AirHogs had five. Goldeyes LHP Nick Hernandez went five innings and had five strike-outs while Grand Prairie’s RHP Danny Guiterrez allowed one earned run and no walks in six innings.
Sioux City 3, Sioux Falls 1 –Box
The Explorers defeated the Canaries in a tight, 3-1 matchup. Sioux Falls opened the game with an RBI-single by 3B Shelby Ford in the first inning. However, Sioux City responded with two runs of its own in the bottom of the second inning with the help of an error and RBI-single. Later in the game, the Explorer’s added to its lead thanks to an RBI-single from OF Rene Tosoni.
Sioux City RHP Jeff Marquez had a strong outing by only allowing one run, five hits and five strike-outs in 6.1 innings. For the Canaries, RHP Brett Gerritse went 5 innings and gave up an earned run. The Canaries had three errors in the matchup while the Explorers had none.
St. Paul 8, Fargo-Moorhead 7 – Box
Down 1-0 in the seconding inning, St. Paul started its own scoring with a two-RBI single by C Vince DiFazio and an RBI-triple by SS Anthony Phillips. Fargo-Moorhead closed the gap to 5-4 after OF Stefan Gartrell had a two-RBI double in the third inning and an RBI-single by Frank Salerno in the fifth inning.
But the Saints’ batters would answer in the bottom of the fifth. St. Paul’s IF Ian Gac hit a two-run homer to extend the lead to 7-4. But a homer by Fargo-Moorhead’s OF Joe Dunigan and a RBI-single by IF Chris Duffy cut the lead to 7-6. With the scored tied at 7-7, St. Paul added a run in bottom of the seventh to take the lead and win the game.
Amarillo 9, Laredo 1 – Box
With the score already sitting at 2-0 in the second inning, Amarillo’s IF Taylor Smart added to the total with a two-RBI triple, which was eventually followed by another RBI-single to make the score 5-0. The Thunderheads added to its advantage with an RBI-single by OF Geraldo Valentin in the fourth inning.
With the score still at 6-0 in the sixth inning, the Thunderheads added to its run total with a pair of RBI singles. The Lemurs managed to get on the board in the sixth inning with a run coming from OF Dennis Phipps scored an unearned run.
Amarillo continued to add to its lead with one run in the ninth.
Québec 11, Gary Southshore 4 – Box
In the first interleague matchup of the season, the Quebec Capitales of the Can-Am League defeated the American Association Gary Southshore Railcats 11-4. The Capitales got on the board early and often thanks to a busy second inning. In the inning, C Jean-Luc Blaquiere hit a two-run home run, followed by an RBI from CF Yuniesky Gurriel and an RBI from SS Yordan Manduley. RF Alexei Bell capped off the seven-run inning by hitting a three-run home run.
The Railcats put up three runs in the fifth inning with the help of an error and a two-RBI triple by IF Sam Lind.
The Capitales got three hits from Manduley and Blaquiere. Bell and Blaquiere had three RBI each. The Railcats had nine total hits in the game, led by C Michael Vaughn who had two.
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