St. Paul 7, Winnipeg 4 — Box Score
The St. Paul Saints won their eighth game in a row with a late surge that powered them past the Winnipeg Goldeyes 7-4.
The Goldeyes took an early lead with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. C Vinny DeFazio tied the score with a two-run home run in the fourth inning but the Goldeyes took the lead back in the fifth with another pair of runs. In the sixth, 3B Steve Nikorak belted a double that plated two runs and SS Anthony Phillips added an RBI single in the next at bat to give the Saints the lead.
Nikorak padded St. Paul’s lead with a two-run shot in the eighth inning, giving him four RBI on the night. Starting pitcher Jeff Shields was tabbed as the winner for working six innings and allowing four runs on eight hits. Reliever Ryan Rodebaugh picked up the save.
Sioux City 2, Sioux Falls 1 — Box Score
The Sioux City Explorers scored in the top of the first inning and never trailed on their way to a 2-1 against the Sioux Falls Canaries.
CF Matty Johnson scored the first run of the game when SS Noah Perio bounced one to the second baseman in the top of the first inning. In the sixth, DH Brock Kjeldgaard scored on a wild pitch to double the Explorers’ advantage. The Canaries scored in the bottom of the inning when DH Brian Humphries lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to plate LF Chris Grayson.
That would be the Canaries’ only run of the game. Starting pitcher Ryan Strufing picked up the win for working 5.2 innings and allowed one run on three hits. Reliever Jose Flores earned the save by working a scoreless ninth.
Grand Prairie 2, Laredo 1 — Box Score
The Grand Prairie AirHogs plated a run in the fifth and sixth innings to edge the Laredo Lemurs 2-1.
LF Chris Elder tripled in the top of the second for Laredo and scored when 2B Jeudy Valdez bounced out to the shortstop. In the fifth, 3B Ridge Hoopii-Haslam scored to tie the score on sac fly by CF Jordy Hart. In the next inning, C Zane Chavez singled to score RF Ronnie Richardson, who doubled in the previous at bat.
Starting pitcher Brett Wallach pitched six innings and allowed one run on four hits as he earned the win. Wallach issued five strikeouts. Reliever Colin Allen gave up just one hit in the last seven outs to record the save.
Lincoln 7, Gary SouthShore 6 — Box Score
The Lincoln Saltdogs scored three runs in the sixth to take the lead and held on to beat the Gary SouthShore RailCats 7-6.
Lincoln got off to a strong start with four runs in the first three innings with the help of RBI singles from CF Matt Forgatch and SS Mike Gilmartin. But the RailCats erased that lead with a five-run fifth inning that featured a three-RBI triple by C Jaime Del Valle and a solo home run by 2B Alex Hernandez. Del Valle also scored in the inning on a wild pitch. In the sixth, RF Brian Joynt scored on a single from Forgatch and 3B Eddie Young stole home. Forgatch scored on a single by 2B Aaron Payne.
Hernandez added another RBI in the seventh for the RailCats but that would be their final run of the game. LF Mitch Canham had a game-high four hits in five at bats for the Saltdogs.
Kansas City 6, Fargo-Moorhead 4 — Box Score
The Kansas City T-Bones scored in five straight innings to take care of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 6-4.
Fargo-Moorhead scored first when C Charlie Valerio and 1B Joe Bonfe hit back-to-back solo home runs in the top of the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fourth, 1B Jake Blackwood doubled home a run and in the fifth the T-Bones tied the score when RF Jacob Hayes scored on an error. Hayes drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth to take a one-run lead but the RedHawks took it back with a run from LF Taylor Oldham and another from CF Drew Muren in the seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh, Blackwood singled home SS Sergio Leon and 3B Nate Tenbrink scored on a wild pitch. Hayes scored his second run of the night when CF Robby Kuzdale doubled in the eighth.
Rockland 11, Amarillo 10 — Box Score
The Rockland Boulders took a wild back-and-forth contest with the Amarillo Thunderheads 11-10.
The two teams combined for 31 hits on the night as Amarillo tallied 16 hits and all nine Boulders combined for 15 hits. Rockland put together a six-run eighth inning to take a 10-7 lead but CF Dexter Kjerstad tied the game in the bottom of the inning with a three-run home run. In the ninth, 3B Giuseppe Papccio opened up the inning with a double and came around to score on a wild pitch. That proved to be the game-winning run as the Thunderheads went down in order after 3B Christian Ibarra’s leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth.
For Rockland, LF Stephen Cardullo had a team-high three hits and had a pair of RBI. For the Thunderheads, both Kjerstad and LF Geraldo Valentin had three-hit games.
