RAILROADERS OPEN 2018 WITH WALK-OFF WIN

Cleburne 3, Winnipeg 2 — Full Box

The Cleburne Railroaders opened their season in style and LF Axel Johnson played the hero as his double in the bottom of the ninth gave Cleburne a 3-2, walk-off win against the Winnipeg Goldeyes.

The game was tied at 2-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth but after 2B Trevor Sealy flew out, C Michael Pair drew a walk to set the stage for Johnson. Johnson turned on a 1-2 delivery and doubled to allow Pair to score the game-ending run. It was Johnson’s only hit of the game but he also had an RBI groundout in the seventh inning.

SS Alex Polston followed in the seventh inning with a double that gave Pair his first run of the game. 3B Patrick Palmeiro and Polston each went 2-for-3 in the game. For Winnipeg, 1B Reynaldo Rodriguez homered and SS Andrew Sohn provided the other RBI.

 

Sioux City 6, Lincoln 0 — Full Box

With an offensive jolt in the middle innings and a shutout from the mound, the Sioux City Explorers topped the Lincoln Saltdogs 6-0.

Sioux City broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth inning when C Dylan Kelly singled to plate 3B Jay Baum for the first of five runs in the inning. 1B Dexture McCall, Kelly, DH Daniel Jackson and RF Michael Lang all crossed the plate before the inning was over. 2B Nelson Ward added more insurance in the sixth with a lead-off solo home run. McCall and Jackson each finished the night with a pair of hits.

On the bump, starting pitcher James Dykstra earned the win for tossing six shutout innings, allowing just four hits and striking out four batters. For the Saltdogs, DH Curt Smith had a team-high two hits.

 

Fargo-Moorhead 7, Texas 5 — Full Box

Both teams jumped off to a quick start on Friday night but the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks were just a little bit stronger and that propelled them to a 7-5 win against the Texas AirHogs.

The RedHawks scored twice in the top of the first but the AirHogs had an immediate answer in the bottom of the frame with three runs of their own. Fargo-Moorhead took the lead back in the second with back-to-back RBI singles from RF Randolph Oduber and 3B Tommy Mendonca (3-for-4). They added two more crucial runs in the fourth when DH Keury De La Cruz (3-for-4) hit an RBI triple and scored when C Charlie Valerio lifted a sacrifice fly in the next at bat.

Those runs proved vital as Texas rallied later in the game, scoring a run in the sixth on a sac fly from SS Casio Grider.

 

Sioux Falls 9, Chicago 5 — Full Box

The Sioux Falls Canaries made the most of their 10 hits, turning them into nine runs on the way to a 9-5 season-opening win against the Chicago Dogs.

The Canaries were trailing 3-1 after four and a half innings before a monster frame in the bottom of the fifth opened up the game. Sioux Falls sent 12 batters the plate, recorded six hits, drew a pair of walks and scored seven runs including a three-run home run from 3B Burt Reynolds. Seven of the nine Canaries recorded hits in the game and DH Jabari Henry led the way as he went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI with a solo home run of his own.

For Chicago, four batters recorded two hits in the game including CF Kyle Gaedele, who homered in the ninth.

 

Gary SouthShore 10, St. Paul 5 — Full Box

Nine different Gary SouthShore RailCats crossed the plate in the season opener to pave the way to a 10-5 win against the St. Paul Saints on Friday night at U.S. Steel Yard.

The RailCats did all of their damage in the first three innings, highlighted by a seven spot in the second. Gary SouthShore saw 12 batters take an at-bat with seven of them finding hits and seven touching all the bases. LF Reggie Wilson scored once and recorded two hits in the inning; he finished the night 3-for-5. Both C Wilfredo Gimenez and CF Christoph Bono also had multi-hit games for the RailCats.

For St. Paul, CF Kes Carter went 3-for-4 with three RBI including a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning.

 

Wichita 8, Kansas City 2 — Full Box

The Wichita Wingnuts had a pair of three-hit performances boost them to an 8-2 win against the Kansas City T-Bones to kickstart the 2018 season.

2B Abel Nieves went 3-for-4 at the dish with a pair of runs scored and an RBI and RF Zech Nehrir also went 3-for-4 but added two runs and three RBI. Four other Wingnuts chipped in one hit each and 3B Logan Trowbridge recorded a pair of RBIs. Starting pitcher Travis Banwart picked up the win for working five innings and allowing just two runs on four hits while striking out eight batters.

For Kansas City, 1B Cal Towey hit a two-run home run in the top of the fourth and RF Nick Torres went 2-for-4.