Fargo-Moorhead 3, Lincoln 0
The RedHawks rode the hot arm of RHP Taylor Stanton (pictured) for all nine innings to clinch a 3-0 shutout against the Saltdogs. Stanton held a perfect game through the first three innings and went on to allow just five hits through the rest of the game. In his first shutout of the season, Stanton struck nine men out and finished the game without a single walk.
SS Zach Penprase helped Fargo-Moorhead out on the batting end by going 2-for-3, including an RBI single in the fifth that got the scoring going for the RedHawks. Penprase also added a run of his own in the eighth.
Sioux City 4, Gary SouthShore 2 (Game 1 – 7 innings)
The X’s narrowly defeated the RailCats 4-2 in game one of the doubleheader after SS Leugim Barroso hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning to give Sioux City the game-winning runs. After that, the X’s bullpen took care of business and kept Sioux City in the lead. RHP Andy Noga earned the win, allowing just four hits and two runs in his six innings. RHP Chris Bodishbaugh replaced Noga to close out the game in the seventh and earned the save. Noga and Bodishbaugh did not allow a single hit from the six batters the X’s faced after taking the lead.
Sioux City CF Eliezer Mesa had the best batting performance in the game, going 3-for-3 with one run and an RBI.
Gary SouthShore 4, Sioux City 0 (Game 2 – 7 innings)
The RailCats bounced back in game two of the doubleheader, shutting down the X’s 4-0 behind a gem from LHP Alain Quijano. Quijano posted his first shutout of the season, allowing six hits with a season-high six strikeouts and zero walks. His win marks his seventh of the season for the RailCats, a league best.
On the way to the win, C Craig Maddox hit 2-for-3 for Gary SouthShore along with two of his team’s four runs.
St. Paul 3, Winnipeg 2
After Winnipeg trailed for the entire game, C Luis Allen’s single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth capped off a comeback for the Goldeyes that yielded them a 3-2 victory over the Saints. Allen was instrumental in Winnipeg’s win, hitting an RBI double earlier in the seventh inning to give the Goldeyes their first run.
Despite the team’s loss, RHP Anthony Claggett’s work on the mound for St. Paul was a big reason for their lead through most of the game. In his eight innings, Claggett allowed just one run and five hits. CF Jose Hernandez also contributed a solo home run for the Saints in the seventh to increase the lead before Winnipeg’s comeback.
Grand Prairie 3, Wichita 0
Led by RHP Jared Mortensen and his 10-strikeout performance, the AirHogs blanked the Wingnuts 3-0 in this low-scoring affair. Mortensen pitched eight innings on his way to his second straight game without earning a run. He allowed just six hits and one walk as he pushed the AirHogs to their fourth straight win.
3B Brandon Pinckney’s RBI double in the third inning produced the only run Grand Prairie needed to beat the Wingnuts. Pinckney’s 3-for-4 batting performance was complemented by DH Juan M. Richardson’s two runs later in the game to round out the win.
Sioux Falls 9, Kansas City
A big batting night for duo CF Nick Van Stratten and 2B Anthony Trajano drove the Canaries to a huge early lead that the T-Bones could not quite recover from as Sioux Falls defeated Kansas City 9-6. Van Stratten and Trajano combined for five runs, all of which came in the first five innings, as they both hit 4-for-5 in the game.
The Canaries built an 8-1 lead by the end of the fifth before the T-Bones started mounting a comeback. Kansas City quickly decreased the Canaries’ lead with five runs across the sixth and seventh innings, including 1B Matt Padgett’s second home run of the game. But their rally ended there as Sioux Falls RHP Kirk Clark came on in the eighth and struck out three straight batters.
Canaries RHP Ben Moore struck out seven batters in the 6.1 innings he pitched. Moore’s strong start surely contributed to the Canaries’ early lead. Prior to the sixth inning, he had allowed just two hits and one run.
El Paso 7, Laredo 5
Four runs in the eighth inning weren’t enough to complete a comeback for the Lemurs as they fell to El Paso 7-5. The two men atop the Diablos’ hitting lineup, 2B Jose G. Garcia and 3B Devin Thaut, lifted their team to victory with superb offensive performances. Garcia was 4-for-5 with two runs and three stolen bases, including a run he scored in the fourth by stealing home. Thaut was also 4-for-5 with two triples and one run.
After El Paso had reached a 6-1 lead by the end of the sixth, Laredo attempted to rally back behind a two-run RBI double from 3B Harrison Kain. Kain then scored along with RF Jon Gaston due to an error by the shortstop. The Diablos called upon RHP Marshall Schuler, who pitched the last 1.2 innings and allowed just one hit, to seal the win for El Paso and earn the save. Kain finished the game 3-for-4 for the Lemurs with a run and three RBIs.
Amarillo, Newark – (postponed – rain)
The game between Amarillo and Newark has been postponed due to rain. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Thursday, July 4 starting at 4:30 p.m.
