Fargo-Moorhead 8, Kansas City 5 – Box Score
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks forced a decisive game three in the West Division Championship Series with an 8-5 win against the Kansas City Monarchs.
The RedHawks struck first thanks to a sac fly from 3B Leobaldo Pina in the top of the first inning. Kansas City answered in the bottom of the second when C J.C. Escarra reached on a fielder’s choice and took second on an error that allowed RF Jan Hernandez to score. In the next at-bat, Escarra scored when SS Pete Kozma singled. Hernandez added an RBI single in the third to give the Monarchs a 3-1 lead.
In the sixth, the RedHawks tied things back up with a two-run home run from 1B Manuel Boscan (3-for-5) and they moved in front in the next frame as RF John Silviano (2-for-4) singled to let both DH Drew Ward and SS Sam Dexter touch the plate. In the home half of the inning, 3B Ryan Grotjohn (2-for-5) hit a solo homer and 1B Casey Gillaspie (2-for-3) doubled home LF Jacob Robson, tying the score again at 5-5.
Dexter gave the RedHawks the lead in the eighth with a single that scored LF Alec Olund and, in the ninth, Silviano singled to score Ward and Olund singled home Pina to provide a three-run cushion.
Game three is set for tomorrow, Thursday, September 15 at Legends Field.
Milwaukee 2, Cleburne 1 – Box Score
The Milwaukee Milkmen clinched their spot in the Miles Wolff Cup Finals as they swept the East Division Championship Series with a 2-1 win against the Cleburne Railroaders Wednesday night at Franklin Field.
The Milkmen took the lead in the bottom of the second inning as 2B Miguel Gomez scored on a wild pitch. Milwaukee added a second run in the eighth as 3B Logan Trowbridge doubled to score RF Carl Chester. The Railroaders broke up the shutout in the top of the ninth as RF Kacy Clemens doubled to center field to score CF Zach Nehrir (3-for-4) but a pair of putouts in the next two at-bats ended the rally, the game and the series.
1B Will Kengor added a pair of hits for the Milkmen.
Milwaukee starting pitcher Ryan Zimmerman fanned 12 batters in 5.2 innings and gave up just two hits in the winning effort. Reliever Rodrigo Benoit worked the ninth to earn the save.
The Miles Wolff Cup Finals are set to begin on Saturday, September 17. While the first two rounds were best-of-three series, the Finals will be best-of-five.
