Wichita 3, Cleburne 2 – Box
After falling in the opening game of the three-game series, the Wingnuts got revenge on Saturday night, striking back with a 3-2 win. The win was their 24th of the year and put them in sole possession of the best record in the league. The Wingnuts took a 2-0 lead in the fourth, on back-to-back RBI singles from 1B Matt Chavez and C Zac Fisher. The Railroaders tied the game in the fifth before 3B T.J. Mittelstaedt knocked in his 39th RBI of the year on a RBI single. The run was the go-ahead in the game and was all the Wingnuts needed as they went on to win 3-2. RHP Jordan Cooper picked up the win, throwing seven dominant innings, allowing two unearned runs and striking out three for his third win of the year. RHP Seth Harvey earned his fifth save with a scoreless ninth inning.
Fargo-Moorhead 4, Gary Southshore 3 – Box
The Railcats wasted no time in pulling in front, as DH Colin Willis hit a solo home run, his fourth of the year, to take a 1-0 lead. The Redhawks immediately clawed back, scoring a run in the opening frame on a sacrifice fly from 3B Josh Mazzola. The two teams exchanged blows, as the Redhawks went up 3-1 in the second before the Railcats tied it in the eighth inning. That led to a dramatic bottom half of the eighth, and with runners on first and second and two outs, the Redhawks struck. DH Vaughn Bryan rattled a RBI single to give the Redhawks a 4-3 lead and the win, as RHP Casey Weathers closed out the ninth with a scoreless inning, picking up his seventh save. RHP Richie Tate earned the win in relief, allowing an unearned run in one inning of work.
Sioux Falls 15, Salina 1 – Box
The Canaries won their second game in a row on Saturday night, soundly defeating the Stockade for their 16th win of the season. DH Aaron Gretz opened the scoring with a three-run home run in the first, his first long ball of the year. The Canaries proceeded to score 12 more runs over the next seven innings as they went on to win 15-1. Amazingly, only one home run was hit in the game, as Gretz finished the game with five RBIs and SS Blake Schmit drove in three runs. RHP Troy Marks was dominant in the victory, allowing one unearned run over seven innings and striking out six. Marks (2-4) allowed three hits and only walked two in the victory.
Sioux City 4, Kansas City 2 – Box
The Explorers won their third game in a row of a four-game series against the T-Bones, picking up their 20th win of the season on Saturday night. The majority of the damage was done in the third, as 1B John Nogowski hit a two-run double and DH LeVon Washington hit a RBI single to take a 4-0 lead. The T-Bones picked up runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but failed to draw closer as the Explorers won 4-2. RHP Kurt Heyer fought for the win, allowing seven hits and two walks in six innings, but only on one run. It was Heyer’s second win of the season, and RHP PJ Francescon earned his eighth save of the year with a scoreless ninth.
Texas 2, Lincoln 1 – Box
After falling to the red-hot Saltdogs in the first two games of their four-game series, the Airhogs got revenge on Saturday night, narrowly edging the Saltdogs 2-1. Neither team scored until the fourth inning when a RBI double from RF Denis Phipps gave the Airhogs a 1-0 lead. Then the next inning, C Ryan Wagner led off with a triple, and a batter later SS Beamer Weems drove him in with a single. The Saltdogs got one back in the eighth when LF Brandon Jacobs hit his sixth home run of the season, but RHP Luis De La Cruz nailed the door shut with a scoreless ninth to give the Airhogs the win. The save was his fourth of the year. LHP Michael Freeman dominated in the win, striking out eight and only allowing one hit over seven scoreless innings for his first win of the year.
St Paul 8, Winnipeg 6 – Box
The Saints edged the Goldeyes on Saturday for their fourth straight win of the year, keeping them at pace with the Wingnuts for the best-record in the league. The Goldeyes took a 3-0 lead in the first, with DH Mason Katz knocking in two runs on a double and another run scoring on a force out. The Goldeyes held a 4-2 lead in the fifth, before the Goldeyes exploded for six runs over the next two innings. 2B Tanner Vavra was instrumental in both innings, hitting a two-run home run in the fifth and a two-run double in the sixth, as he finished with four RBIs on the day. RHP Mark Hamburger earned his sixth win of the year, after getting huge run support from his bats. He was unspectacular on the day, allowing five runs (two earned) on nine hits over 5.2 innings. RHP Seth Rosin earned the four-out save, his eighth save of the season.
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