Amarillo 9, Sioux Falls 8 – Box
After some back and forth scoring between the Amarillo Thunderheads and Sioux Falls Canaries, the Thunderheads walked off with the 9-8 win. In the top of the ninth, Sioux Falls tied the game after LF Brian Humphries hit a solo homer, but Amarillo wouldn’t fold. 1B Rene Leveret led off the bottom of the ninth with a double, and after some errors, Leveret scored the game-winning run for Amarillo. Earlier offensive highlights included a two-run homer from Humphries in the sixth inning and another two-run homer from DH Chris Grayson in the seventh.
LF Stefan Gartrell led Amarillo at the plate with three hits, one run and two RBIs. Grayson finished with two hits, one run and four RBIs, and Humphries had two hits, two runs and three RBIs for Sioux Falls.
Rockland 9, Fargo-Moorhead 5 – Box
The Rockland Boulders defeated the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 9-5 after quelling a small, late rally. The Boulders got on the scoreboard in the first inning with a two-RBI double from DH Marcus Nidiffer. The third inning saw a couple more big doubles, with C Joe Maloney and 2B Steve Nyisztor each driving in a run. Rockland then continued scoring, with one run each inning between the fourth and seventh. Rockland’s starting pitcher Stephen Harrold got the win after seven innings with just one run allowed.
In the eighth inning, Fargo-Moorhead tried to get a rally ignited down eight runs. LF Chad Mozingo hit an RBI single, and then 1B Joe Bonfe brought in a second run. Finally, RF Joe Dunigan hit a two-run homer, but Fargo-Moorhead couldn’t score any more.
Joplin 5, Grand Prairie 1 – Box
Behind the hot hitting of 2B Omar Luna, the Joplin Blasters easily defeated the Grand Priarie AirHogs 5-1. Luna didn’t drive in any runs, but his four hits set some up. The Blasters got on the board in the fourth inning with three runs. The first run came in when DH Mitch Glasser was hit with the bases loaded. A fielder’s choice and error allowed two more runs off CF Gabe Suarez’s hit.
Josue Montanez got the win for Joplin after pitching six innings and allowing one hit and zero runs.
The single run for Grand Prairie came in the eighth inning when Ronnie Richardson hit a sacrifice fly. The AirHogs’ reliever Dylan Rucker had a really nice outing. He pitched the final 3.2 innings, allowing zero runs and just one hit.
Sioux City 7, Gary SouthShore 2 – Box
The Sioux City Explorers jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first two innings and rode that early lead to a 7-2 win over the Gary SouthShore RailCats. The RailCats scored two in the third to halve the deficit behind a 2B J.D. Pulfer RBI double and an error. In the sixth inning, C Matt Koch hit a solo homer for Sioux City to pad the lead. Insurance runs in the seventh and ninth, highlighted by 1B Rene Tosoni’s RBI double, completed the game. SS Noah Perio led Sioux City with three hits.
Sioux City started pitcher Eric Wordekemper, and he disappoint in his quality start and win. Wordekemper pitched six innings and allowed just one earned run. David Herndon came in for relief and pitched two scoreless innings, and Billy Bullock pitched a quiet ninth.
Lincoln 6, St. Paul 5 – Box
The Lincoln Saltdogs rallied with three runs in the eighth inning to take the 6-5 win over the St. Paul Saints. Down two, 1B Curt Smith led off the eighth with a double to left field. LF Steven Tinoco then hit an RBI single to cut the lead to one. SS Mike Gilmartin’s sacrifice fly brought in Tinoco to tie the game. Later in the inning with two outs, 2B Aaron Payne hit an RBI single to score the go-ahead run for Lincoln. Smith and C Ryan Wiggins each finished with three hits.
It was a tough loss for the Saints, who seemed to have control of the game for the most part. They still scored five runs, which were highlighted by an RBI triple from CF Alonzo Harris and 1B Vinny DiFazio RBI double.
Winnipeg 9, Kansas City 8 – Box
The Winnipeg Goldeyes withstood five unanswered runs from the Kansas City T-Bones and held on to win 9-8. After Winnipeg took a 9-3 lead in the seventh inning off 2B Brad Boyer’s RBI double, it looked like it would cruise to an easy win. But 2B Ryan Cavan would respond for the T-Bones with an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh to get the comeback started. DH James Boddicker hit another RBI double for Kansas City in the eighth, cutting Winnipeg’s lead to four.
In the ninth, 1B Jake Blackwood hit an RBI single to keep Kansas City’s hopes alive. Back-to-back RBI singles from SS Vladamir Frias and C Brian Erie then cut the lead to just one, but the comeback fell just short. Cavan and Frias led Kansas City with three hits apiece, while RF Chris Robinson, 1B Casey Haerther and 3B Josh Mazzola each led Winnipeg with two hits.
Wichita 2, Laredo 0 – Box
In a low-scoring affair, the Wichita Wingnuts blanked the Laredo Lemurs and took the 2-0 win. The Wingnuts pitching staff deserves a lot of the credit for the win due to their combined shutout. Starter Scott Richmond got the win after his quality start of six innings when he struck out five. Daniel Bennett pitched a perfect seventh inning, Frankie Reed pitched a scoreless eighth and Dakota Watts picked up the save after a scoreless ninth. Wichita scored one of its runs in the first inning off a 3B T.J. Mittelstaedt double, but that wasn’t a foreshadowing of the rest of the game. A passed ball in the fifth allowed 2B Leo Vargas to score to give the insurance run to Wichita.
1B Dustin Geiger led Laredo at the plate as he went a perfect 2-for-2 with two walks. B.J. Hyatt and Cody Kendall each pitched two scoreless innings in relief for Laredo.
