RailCats 4, Monarchs 8 – Box Score
Fireworks were flying for the Kansas City Monarchs (30-16) on the fourth of July weekend. All-Star RF Jan Hernandez belted a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the tenth inning to complete the sweep over the Gary SouthShore RailCats (20-27) in an 8-4 victory.
The Monarchs took an early 1-0 lead as LF Darnell Sweeney roped a solo home run to right field.
The RailCats tied the game in the second inning. LF Victor Nova collected a leadoff double as he hit a high fly ball to right field that got lost in the sun. RF Jesus Marriaga followed this with a single up the middle to score Nova and even the score at one.
Both teams scored in the third and after four innings of play the game was tied 2-2.
In the top of the fifth, 3B Thomas Walraven hit a two-run home run to give the RailCats a 4-2 lead. The Monarchs responded in the bottom of the fifth as SS Kevin Santa drove a line drive down the first base line to score Sweeney and bring the Monarchs within one.
Kansas City still trailed by one run going into the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, 1B Casey Gillaspie stepped up to the plate for the Monarchs. He hit a ground ball to SS Daniel Lingua that could have ended the game. Lingua made a throwing error, launching the ball over the first baseman’s head allowing DH Matt Adams to score and tie the game at four.
The RailCats couldn’t bring a run across in the top of the tenth. In the bottom of the inning, Jan Hernandez stepped up to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. He crushed a grand-slam to right field, completing the sweep over the RailCats in walk-off fashion.
Saltdogs 1, RedHawks 3 – Box Score
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (33-13) got back on track Sunday afternoon as they defeated the Lincoln Saltdogs (23-22) 3-1.
3B Ryan Long broke the tie in the fourth inning when he drove an RBI single to score CF Hunter Clanin to give the Saltdogs a 1-0 lead. The single extended his hitting streak to a season-best seven games.
The RedHawks responded right away, scoring on a wild pitch to tie the game. RF John Silviano drove in a run on an RBI single to give Fargo-Moorhead a 2-1 lead over Lincoln.
The RedHawks extended their lead in the fifth. SS Sam Dexter started the inning with a leadoff double and LF Nick Novak drove him in with an RBI single to make it 3-1.
The Saltdogs made some noise in the ninth inning. RF Patrick Caulfield hit a leadoff double down the left-field line. Matt Goodheart worked a pinch-hit walk before LF Randy Norris loaded the bases with a single. However, RedHawks relief pitcher Alex DuBord struck out Clanin to end the game. The Saltdogs stranded 11 runners over the final six innings.
Starting pitcher Tyler Grauer earned the win and a quality start for the Redhawks. He allowed one run in six innings while striking out four batters.
Goldeyes 7, Explorers 10 – Box Score
The Sioux City Explorers (19-25) walked off the Winnipeg Goldeyes (24-21) for the second time in the three-game series. SS Zack Kone delivered the walk-off three-run bomb in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game 10-7 as well as the series over the Goldeyes.
Both teams were tied at two early on, but Sioux City took the lead in the second inning when 3B Blake Tiberi hit a solo home run to put the Explorers on top 3-2.
It didn’t take long for the Goldeyes to respond. In the fourth inning, 1B David Washington drove in a run. The next inning, C Hidekel Gonzalez belted a solo home run. After six innings of play, the Goldeyes led 4-3.
The Explorers had a big seventh inning, scoring three runs on three hits and two walks to give them a 6-4 lead.
The Goldeyes scored in the final two innings. Washington hammered a solo home run for the Goldeyes in the top of the eighth and LF Eric Rivera hit a two-RBI single to put Winnipeg back on top 7-6 entering the bottom of the ninth.
Explorers 2B Nate Samson tied the game at seven on a two-out RBI single to left field. Zack Kone stepped up to the plate and belted a walk-off home run to win the game for the Explorers, 10-7.
DockHounds 1, Cougars 5 – Box Score
The Kane County Cougars (25-21) clinched a sweep over the Lake Country DockHounds (17-30) with a 5-1 victory in front of 6,368 fans on Sunday night at Northwestern Medicine Field.
Once again, Kane County benefitted from a quality start, this time from Jose Fuentes (3-1). The right-hander allowed just one run on seven hits with two strikeouts against three walks across six innings of work. It was the sixth consecutive quality start from Fuentes.
The Cougars got on the board in the bottom of the third inning against Lake Country starter Evan Kruczynski (3-2). With two outs, Ernie De La Trinidad drew a walk before Steve Lombardozzi smacked a double down the line to score De La Trinidad and make it 1-0. Then, Cornelius Randolph hit a bloop single to score Lombardozzi and push the lead to two runs.
Kane County added two more in the fifth inning. Following a two out walk from Randolph, Jimmy Kerrigan crushed a two-run home run over the score board in left field. Kerrigan’s team-leading 16th home run made it 4-0 Cougars.
In the top of the seventh the DockHounds threatened by loading the bases with nobody out against Fuentes. Tristen Carranza then hit an RBI single to make it 4-1 before Fuentes was removed from the game. Entering a bases-loaded, nobody out jam Jack Anderson retired three straight hitters with a strikeout, pop out and groundout to keep it a 4-1 game.
After Anderson’s effort, the Cougars added an insurance run as Dylan Busby drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh to make it 5-1. Anderson went on to pitch a scoreless eighth and Logan Nissen tossed a scoreless ninth to finish off the win and a three-game sweep for the Cougars.
Milkmen 7, Dogs 9 – Box Score
The Chicago Dogs (30-15) held off the Milwaukee Milkmen (21-24) in a 9-7 victory on a beautiful night at Impact Field.
A Ryan Lidge single in the bottom of the 3rd opened up scoring for the Dogs and enabled a three-run home run from K.C. Hobson later in that same inning.
Moving into the 4th a single run scored for the Dogs again when Hobson was up to bat. This time it came by way of a walk, however.
A sloppy 5th inning seemed to mark the end of it for the Milkmen as three unearned runs scored throughout the inning and an additional run was scored on a Michael Crouse single.
The Milkmen are about as boom or bust as it comes in the American Association scoring zero runs in all innings except the top of the 6th when they scored seven runs.
Chad Sedio opened up the scoring for the Milkmen with an RBI Single to pitcher Shane Barringer. After a pitching change Christ Conley scored Dylan Kelly and then Logan Trowbridge singled to center knocking in Sedio and Aaron Hill.
Prior to an urgent pitching change, the Milkmen put two other runs on the board from a Mason Davis single to right field.
The single-inning boom wasn’t enough for the Milkmen to claw their way back into the game, however, as both teams were scoreless throughout the rest of the game and Chicago won by two.
Canaries 9, Railroaders 6 – Box Score
Yet another extra-inning battle between the Railroaders and the Canaries ended in 10 innings on 4th of July Eve.
A relatively close game all the way through, the Sioux Falls Canaries (17-29) came on strong in the final few innings to defeat the Cleburne Railroaders (15-31) with a final score of 9-6.
A Jabari Henry HR in the top of the 8th put two tallies on the board and tied it up to head into extra innings. This was followed by a Trey Michalczewski 3-run bomb in the top of the 10th to seal the deal for the Canaries.
While the scoring was accurate, we’d like someone to check on the thermometer down in Cleburne because 100° at 7 o’clock is ridiculous.
