Gary SouthShore 5, Winnipeg 4 (13 innings) – Box
Gary SouthShore won an extra inning game 5-4 thanks to a walk-off single by DH Adam Taylor. In the third inning, 1B Casey Haerther hit an RBI-single and 2B Brad Boyer hit a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 Goldeyes. C Jaime Del Valle of the RailCats hit an RBI-groundout in the sixth inning to cut Winnipeg’s lead. Del Valle added an RBI-single in the eighth inning to tie the match-up. In the tenth inning, Gary SouthShore had two runners on base, but couldn’t bring home the game-winning run.
Hearther hit an RBI-single to help the Goldeyes take the lead in the 11th, but Taylor of the RailCats hit an RBI-double in the bottom half to tie it again at 3-3. In the top of the 12th, Goldeye CF Reggie Abercrombie hit an RBI-triple to push Winnipeg ahead 4-3. But Gary once again tied it in the bottom half. Taylor hit the game-winning RBI-single in the bottom of the 13th to finish the game.
Joplin 5, Kansas City 2 (Game 1 — 7 innings) – Box
Joplin only needed six hits to take down Kansas City 5-2 in the first game of a doubleheader. SS Maikol Gonzalez hit a two-RBI single in the first inning to make it 2-0 Blasters. T-Bones RF Jacob Hayes hit an RBI-single in the second to cut the lead to 2-1. But in the top of the third, Joplin 3B Jairo Perez smacked a two-run homer to give the Blaster’s a 4-1 advantage.
In the top of the fourth, Kansas City had bases loaded with only one out, but could only manage a C Alex Marquez RBI-single. In the sixth inning, Joplin added an insurance run with a solo homer by DH Jake Taylor, giving the Blasters a 5-2 edge.
T-Bones starting pitcher Michael Nannini went six innings, gave up five hits, and struck-out two batters. Joplin starting pitcher Nestor Molina went six innings, gave up eight hits and struck-out four batters.
Joplin at Kansas City, (Game 2 — 7 innings) – Box
Joplin took down Kansas City 6-2 to sweep the doubleheader Thursday night. Blasters 3B Jairo Perez hit an RBI-single in the fourth inning to give Joplin a 1-0 lead. The lead grew to 4-0 in the top of the fifth – CF Oscar Mesa had an RBI-single and SS Maikol Gonzalez had a two-RBI single.
Mesa made it 5-0 in the sixth inning with another RBI-single and RF Steve Tinoco had an RBI-walk to make it 6-0 and even further out of reach. In the bottom of the sixth, Kansas City Adam Bailey hit a two-run homer to make it 6-2. T-Bones starting pitcher Steven Sarcone went 4.2 innings, gave up five hits, four earned runs, and struck-out two batters. Joplin starting pitcher Reyes Dorado went five innings, five hits, zero earned runs, and struck-out three batters.
Wichita 3, Quebec 1 – Box
Wichita held Quebec to just three hits in a 3-1 victory Thursday night. In the sixth inning, the Wingnuts broke the defensive gridlock with an RBI-single by RF David Espinosa. But Quebec responded in the bottom half with an RBI-single from LF Will Walsh. Then in the top of the seventh, Wichita retook the lead after a two-RBI double by 2B Jerry Gonzalez. Quebec had two on with two out in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn’t bring forth any offense.
Wichita starting pitcher Eddie Medina went 6.2 innings, gave up three hits, one earned one and struck-out six batters. Quebec starting pitcher Karl Gelinas went seven innings, gave up six hits, three earned runs, and struck-out eight batters. Wichita had three errors in the game while Quebec had two.
Laredo 6, Amarillo 3 – Box
Amarillo had 11 hits but still fell to Laredo 6-3 Thursday night. Lemur RF Kevin Taylor hit an RBI-single in the first inning to give Laredo a 1-0 lead. Amarillo threatened with runners on the corners and two out in the second, but the Lemurs got out of the jam. Taylor returned in the fifth inning to hit a solo homer and LF Chris Elder followed it up with an RBI-single to give Laredo a 3-0 lead. But in the bottom of the fifth, Amarillo fought back with two runs thanks to a two-RBI double by LF Geraldo Valentin. Laredo scored three insurance runs in the eighth to take a 6-2 advantage.
Laredo starting pitcher Cody Kendall went 5.1 innings, gave up seven hits, two earned runs, one walk, and struck-out five batters. Amarillo starting pitcher Matt Larkins went seven innings, gave up nine hits, two earned runs, and struck-out four batters.
Sioux Falls 8, Grand Prairie 3 – Box
Sioux Falls used runs in late innings to push ahead 8-3 against Grand Prairie Thursday night. After Sioux Falls scored a run in the first, AirHogs RF Ronnie Richardson hit an RBI-single to tie the score in the third inning. But in the fourth inning, RF Jason Repko scored on a wild pitch to help the Canaries retake a 2-1 lead. In the fifth inning, Grand Prairie grabbed a 3-2 lead thanks to a two-RBI single by LF Willie Cabrera. Repko tied the game in the sixth with a sacrifice fly.
And in top of the seventh, Sioux Falls zoomed ahead 7-3 after getting four runs. In the inning, SS Jerome Pena had a sacrifice fly, 1B David Bergin had a two-run homer, and Repko scored an unearned run.
St. Paul 3, Lincoln 0 (rain-shortened — 5 innings) – Box
St. Paul defeated Lincoln 3-0 in a game that was ended halfway through due to rainfall. C Joey Paciorek hit an RBI-single in the second inning to give St. Paul a 1-0 lead. Paciorek returned in the fourth inning to hit an RBI-double to make it 2-0 Saints. In the fifth inning, DH Vince DiFazio hit an RBI-single to make it 3-0. Lincoln had two hits while St. Paul had five. In the shortened game, St. Paul starting pitcher Dustin Crenshaw went five innings, gave up two hits, no earned runs and struck-out three batters. Lincoln starting pitcher Casey Collins went 4.1 innings, gave up five hits, two earned runs, and struck-out one batter.
Sioux City 4, Fargo-Moorhead 2 – Box
Sioux City held off a late rally to beat Fargo-Moorhead 4-2 Thursday night. A 3B Tommy Mendonca RBI-double and C Brendan Slattery RBI-single made it 2-0 Explorers in the second inning. In the third, Redhawks CF Drew Muren hit a sacrifice fly to cut it to 2-1 Sioux City. 1B Joe Bonfe hit a solo homer in the fourth inning to tie the score. Slattery hit an RBI-double to give Sioux City a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning.
Sioux City starting pitcher Eric Wordekemper went 5.2 innings, gave up four hits, two earned runs, and struck-out six batters. Fargo-Moorhead starting pitcher Taylor Stanton went 6.1 innings, gave up eight hits, three earned runs, and struck-out eight batters. Slattery led the Explorers with two RBIs.
Fans can watch select American Association games live and for free at www.americanassociationbaseball.tv.
