Wichita 4, New Jersey 2 – Box
The Wichita Wingnuts rallied to score all four of their runs in the ninth inning to beat the New Jersey Jackals 4-2. Down two, The Wingnuts began the final inning with a walk, setting the stage for a big swing and two-run homer from 1B Matt Padgett. A couple batters later, LF Harrison Kain singled home the go-ahead run, and an error later added Wichita’s insurance run. CF Jayce Ray also had a big game for Wichita with three hits.
The two runs for New Jersey came from an RBI groundout by 2B Anthony Gomez in the first inning and then a double from Gomez in the sixth that scored SS Peter Mooney. New Jersey starting pitcher Brian Ernst pitched a great game (seven innings, zero earned runs), but took the no decision. Wichita’s starter, Tim Brown, grabbed the win with just two runs allowed in eight innings. Dakota Watts picked up the save.
Sioux City 3, Lincoln 0 – Box
John Straka turned in a masterful performance for the Sioux City Explorers as they defeated the Lincoln Saltdogs 3-0. Strake pitched eight innings and allowed zero runs, only three hits, while striking out nine. He picked up the win, and Jose Flores got the save after a scoreless ninth. It was a pitcher’s duel for most of the game, but 2B Ryan Court hit an RBI double and 3B Tommy Mendonca had an RBI single to score two runs in the seventh. 1B Rene Tosoni added an RBI double in the eighth. DH Brock Kjeldgaard had two walks.
Lincoln may have lost, but starting pitcher Ryan Strufing had a strong outing. He picked up the loss, but he still pitched seven innings and allowed only two runs.
Winnipeg 7, Amarillo 0 – Box
A complete game shutout from Nick Hernandez and a six-run inning allowed Winnipeg to take the easy 7-0 win over Amarillo. Hernandez allowed just four hits and one walk, and he added five strikeouts in his nine innings. Meanwhile, that big inning happened in the fourth. Three consecutive RBI singles from RF Tillman Pugh, C Luis Alen and SS Casio Grider really broke the game open for the Goldeyes. Pugh led Winnipeg with two runs, Alen had a team-high three hits and Grider had a team-high two RBIs.
Though Amarillo couldn’t score, RF Logan Vick had a very nice game at the leadoff position. Vick finished with three hits. Relief pitcher Freddy Flores pitched four scoreless innings for the Thunderheads, and Richard Barrett pitched a scoreless inning.
Laredo 1, Joplin 0 – Box
The Laredo Lemurs defeated the Joplin Blasters by the slimmest of margins 1-0 with a late run. Though it was a pitcher’s duel for most of the game, one swing of the bat by LF Chris Elder was all Laredo needed. His solo homer in the eighth wasn’t much, but it was enough. That’s because three Laredo pitchers combined to throw a shutout. Henry Garcia, who got the win, pitched the first seven innings with just five hits allowed, then Ryan Beckman and John Brebbia each pitched a perfect inning to finish Joplin. C Brian Peterson led Laredo and all players with two hits.
Joplin starting pitcher Josue Montanez took a no decision, but he pitched a strong 6.2 innings with no runs allowed.
Kansas City 7, Sioux Falls 6 – Box
Though the Sioux Falls Canaries scored six runs in the first three innings, the Kansas City T-Bones kept chipping away and eventually took the lead and win 7-6. The big play of the night for Kansas City was a three-run homer from 1B Jake Blackwood in the third inning. It scored two runs in the fifth inning, which included another RBI from Blackwood. Then in the seventh, the T-Bones tied and took the lead with two more runs. C Brian Erie hit an RBI single and then 2B James Boddicker sacrificed himself for the go-ahead run.
Sioux Falls began the game with a two-run homer in the second at-bat from SS Jerome Pena. Two more runs in the second, and two more in the third offered a great start, but the Canaries couldn’t sustain or add to it.
St. Paul 12, Gary SouthShore 6 – Box
The St. Paul Saints scored seven runs in the first inning and never looked back, eventually defeating the Gary SouthShore RailCats 12-6. In the first, 1B Angelo Songo and 3B Ryan Lashley hit RBI doubles and RF Mike Kvasnicka added a two-RBI single among the seven total runs. In the fourth inning, Songco added a three-run homer for good measure. Songco finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs and four RBIs. CF Alonzo Harris tied him with team-high three hits.
Gary SouthShore couldn’t match the offensive firepower of St. Paul but had a few highlights of its own. In the first, 1B Jose Sermo hit a two-RBI double. In the fourth, SS Ryan Brockett hit a two-RBI double of his own. And in the seventh, DH Jaime Del Valle hit one more two-RBI double for the RailCats. Brockett and CF Jon Jones led Gary SouthShore with two hits each.
Grand Prairie 15, Fargo-Moorhead 7 – Box
The Grand Prairie AirHogs recorded 21 hits and scored eight times in the ninth inning to bury the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 15-7. The game was actually tied 7-7 headed to the final inning, but a massive top of the ninth from Grand Prairie made the final result look more lopsided. An error allowed in the first run, but then SS Robi Estrada hit an RBI double and 2B Josh Eatherly hit an RBI single. With the bases loaded, C Zane Chavez unloaded with a grand slam, and 1B Victor Diaz followed it up with a solo homer. Chavez had five RBIs and three hits.
LF Chad Mozingo, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one walk and one RBI, led Fargo-Moorhead at the plate. SS Zach Penprase added a solo homer for the RedHawks.
