Winnipeg 6, Ottawa 5 – Box
The Winnipeg Goldeyes squeezed out a 6-5 win over the Ottawa Champions with a run in the top of the ninth inning to break the tie. 1B Casey Haerther’s RBI single nudged the Goldeyes to victory and gave Winnipeg its first run since the second inning. 3B Josh Mazzola’s opened the game with a three-run blast in the first inning for Winnipeg, and the Goldeyes added two RBI singles in the second.
Though Ottawa fell behind early in the game, it scratched its way back to tie the game. CF Sebastien Boucher hit an RBI single in the first inning, and C Daniel Grauer added an RBI double in the fourth, among other scoring plays.
Winnipeg’s Rett Varner picked up the win after striking out two in a scoreless eighth inning. Jailen Peguero got the save with a scoreless ninth.
Kansas City 5, Joplin 0 (Game 1 – 7 Innings) – Box
Jared Messer allowed just one hit and pitched a complete game to lead the Kansas City T-Bones to a 5-0 win over the Joplin Blasters. Messer also struck out four in his seven innings. 1B Jake Blackwood’s solo home run powered the T-Bones offense. Before that play, Blackwood had also sacrificed in a run and an RBI single. Blackwood finished 2-for-2 with one run and three RBIs. LF Starlin Rodriguez added three hits and two runs. CF Robby Kuzdale had two hits.
SS Maikol Gonzalez was the only Joplin hitter to register a hit off Messer. On the mound, Sam Agnew-Wieland allowed just one run in 4.2 innings of relief.
Kansas City 6, Joplin 4 (Game 2 – 7 Innings) – Box
Despite being outhit 12-6, the Kansas City T-Bones defeated the Joplin Blasters 6-4 in the second leg of a doubleheader. Joplin got on the board first with a 3B Jairo Perez RBI single in the first inning, but CF Robby Kuzdale’s sacrifice tied it up. Kansas City added another run in the second with RF Jacob Hayes’ solo home run.
Back-to-back RBI singles in the third from Joplin’s 2B Omar Luna and C Carlos Ramirez took back the lead for the Blasters. But once again, Kansas City responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning. SS Vladamir Frias hit a two-run single, and Hayes added a two-run double. DH Jake Taylor tried to ignite a Joplin rally with a solo homer, but it wasn’t enough.
Amarillo 4, Grand Prairie 1 – Box
A pair of homers powered the Amarillo Thunderheads to a 4-1 win over the Grand Prairie AirHogs. In the first inning, 2B Geraldo Valentin hit a solo home run in the second at bat of the game. DH Stefan Gartrell closed out the game with a two-run blast in the eighth inning. Valentin led the team with three hits, while RF Logan Vick and SS Juan Martinez each had two. However, that’s not to overlook the great pitching performance from Amarillo’s Matt Larkins. He pitched the complete game, allowed just one run and struck out seven.
C Zane Chavez scored Grand Prairie’s lone run in the fourth inning off 1B Brian Frazier’s putout. 2B Jamodrick McGruder led the AirHogs with two hits.
St. Paul 5, Sioux Falls 2 – Box
A commanding complete game outing from St. Paul Saints pitcher Robert Coe propelled his team to a 5-2 win over the Sioux Falls Canaries. Coe pitched nine innings, allowed just three hits and two runs and also struck out seven. In the seventh inning, St. Paul’s 3B Nate Hanson hit a two-run homer and CF Alonzo Harris added a solo shot three batters later. Hanson led the team at the plate, as he went 2-for-3 to go with two RBIs and two runs. Harris had the other multi-hit game for St. Paul.
Both of Sioux Falls’ runs came in the fourth inning when RF Jason Repko took one out of the yard for two runs. Canaries starting pitcher Joe Bircher tossed six innings and didn’t give up any runs.
Fargo-Moorhead 8, Gary SouthShore 5 – Box
A four-run inning and two home runs helped the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks beat the Gary SouthShore RailCats 8-5. In the third inning, CF Drew Muren began the scoring with a two-run double. Consecutive putouts from LF Chad Mozingo and 1B Joe Bonfe brought in two more runs. Earlier in the game, RF Joe Dunigan hit a solo homer for the RedHawks and 3B Michael Wing added a two-run blast in the fourth. Wing led his team offensively with two hits, two RBIs, two runs and one walk.
Fargo-Moorhead reliever Nick Cooney pitched 2.1 scoreless innings. Mike Nesseth got the save with a perfect ninth inning.
RF Adam Taylor led Gary SouthShore with three RBIs, while 2B Elbert Devarie led with three hits and two runs.
Sioux City 8, Lincoln 6 – Box
The Sioux City Explorers applied pressure and scoring throughout the game en route to an 8-6 win over the Lincoln Saltdogs. In the first inning, SS Noah Perio drove in a run off his double, and Perio scored the final Explorers run in the ninth inning off PH-RF Michael Lang’s single. In between, LF-RF Brent Keys hit a two-run double, and 2B Ryan Court added an RBI double of his own. Keys led Sioux City in RBIs (three), and Court led the team in hits (three). Dillon Usiak picked up the six-out save for Sioux City.
Most of Lincoln’s runs came in the second inning when it scored four runs. 1B Jeremy Hamilton, CF Matt Forgatch and 2B Aaron Payne each hit an RBI single, and the other run came in via a sacrifice.
Wichita 12, Laredo 2 – Box
The Wichita Wingnuts thumped the Laredo Lemurs 12-2 with a potent offense and solid pitching. After 3B T.J. Mittelstaedt started with an RBI single for Wichita in the first inning, C John Nester hit a three-run homer. In the fourth inning, CF Nick Van Stratten hit a two-run triple, and RF Jayce Ray added an RBI single. In the seventh, the Wingnuts got three RBI hits from 2B Leo Vargas, DH David Espinosa and Van Stratten. Starting pitcher Jason Van Skike allowed just one earned run in seven innings of work, and Scott Kuzminsky finished the game with two scoreless innings.
Both of Laredo’s runs came in the second inning. C Phil Pohl hit an RBI single, and SS J.D. Pulfer’s sacrifice fly brought in the second run.
