Fargo-Moorhead 6, Cleburne 2 – Box
The Redhawks used a five-run burst between the second and fourth innings to win their 31st game of the season on Friday night. After the Redhawks took a 1-0 lead in the second, they extended the lead in the third after a two-run triple from 3B Josh Mazzola. The Railroaders scored two runs in the sixth, but could not cut into the lead any further. The Redhawks added an insurance run in the seventh and won 6-2. RF K.D. Kang homered in the win, hitting his sixth long ball of the year and collected two hits on the night. RHP Jose Almarante earned his third win of the year with a strong performance. Almarante (3-5) pitched eight innings, allowed two runs on six hits and struck out three batters.
Lincoln 4, Wichita 3 – Box
The Saltdogs beat the Wingnuts in their series opener on Friday night 4-3 to win their 37th game of the season. It was their ninth win in the last ten games and puts them one game back of the Wingnuts for the best record in the league. The Saltdogs were down 3-0 entering ninth but 1B Nathaniel Maggio cracked into the lead with a two-run double. 3B Joe Robbins then smacked a single into the outfield to score the tying run. Robbins then scored second base and was brought home by C Dashenko Ricardo’s RBI single. Maggio finished with two hits and two RBIs on the day. 2B Christian Stringer had a strong day in the loss, picking up three hits and scoring once. RHP J.R. Bunda earned the victory with a scoreless ninth, giving up a hit in the process. It was Bunda’s sixth win of the season.
St Paul 10, Salina 2 – Box
The Saints ended a losing skid by defeating the Stockade 10-2 on Friday night in a game that was decided early. After the Stockade took a 1-0 lead in the second, C Maxx Garrett hit a three-run homer to put the Saints up 3-1. It was one of four home runs hit on the night by the Saints. In the sixth, RF Breland Almadova capped off a five-run inning with a three-run home run. It was his second homer of the year and put the Saints up 9-1. LF Anthony Gallas and 3B Nate Hanson also homered in the win. RHP Benji Waite had a solid pitching performance, throwing six-one run innings to earn his third win of the year. Waite (3-2) allowed four hits and struck out five batters in the win.
Kansas City 12, Winnipeg 3 – Box
The T-Bones ran away with the game on Friday night after a ten-run second inning gave them a commanding 10-1 lead over the Goldeyes. 3B Jordan Edgerton gave the T-Bones the first run of the inning with a RBI double. Later in the inning, two three-run homers were hit, with the last being the tenth run of the frame. DH Kevin Keyes hit the first three-run homer of the inning and was followed by a three-run blast from 2B Jerome Pena. RHP Gabe Perez pitched six innings to earn the win. Perez (6-3) allowed a run on five hits and struck out eight batters. RHP Zach Morgenstern earned the save, pitching three innings of two-run ball to pick up his first save of the year.
Sioux Falls 9, Texas 6 – Box
The Canaries beat the Airhogs in a high-scoring affair 9-6 on Friday night to win their 27th game of the year. In the fifth, the Canaries scored four runs to take a 6-3 lead. The Airhogs struck back with three runs to tie the game. In the seventh, the Canaries again took the lead and they added two more runs in the ninth to earn the 9-6 win. DH Chris Jacobs was 2-4 with three RBIs in the victory. LF Ty Morrison picked up three hits, scored three times and knocked in a run in the victory. RHP James Jones pitched two scoreless innings in relief to pick up his first win of the year. RHP Jose Ortega pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his 11th win of the year.
Sioux City 10, Gary Southshore 0 (Final – 6 innings) – Box
The Explorers scored ten runs in the fifth and sixth innings to win 10-0 over the Railcats on Friday night in a contest that was shortened due to rain. 2B Joe Bennie slapped a single to put the first run on the board for the Explorers. Two batters later, 1B Tyler Ogle added to the lead with a two-run double and DH LeVon Washington brought Ogle in a batter later to cap the five-run inning. In the sixth, C Jonathan Gonzalez blasted a two-run home run to make it 7-0. The Explorers scored three more runs in the inning to take their 28th win of the year, moving them to a game within .500. Bennie and Gonzalez both contributed multi-hit nights in the win. RHP Kevin McCanna pitched the five-inning complete game, allowing two hits and striking out eight batters to earn his fifth win of the year.
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