Sioux City 9, Lincoln 8 – Box
The Sioux City Explorers walked off with the 9-8 win in the 11th inning over the Lincoln Saltdogs thanks to 1B Ino Patron’s RBI single. The Explorers won after giving up a two-run lead in the top of the ninth inning and then tying it back up in the bottom of the ninth to go to extras. Among the many big plays for the Explorers was an two-RBI triple from DH Rene Tosoni as part of a five-run fifth inning. Tosoni finished the game with two hits, two runs, two RBIs and one walk.
The Saltdogs had a lot of momentum in the top of the ninth but just couldn’t close it out. DH Curt Smith began the inning with a solo home run to cut the lead to just one. 1B-LF Steven Tinoco hit an RBI single, then 2B Aaron Payne brought home the go-ahead run. But Tosoni found his way home again in the bottom of the ninth to give Sioux City life once again. CF Matt Forgatch finished with three hits for Lincoln.
Kansas City 4, Gary SouthShore 0 – Box
A fabulous performance from the Kansas City T-Bones pitching staff led to a 4-0 shutout over the Gary SouthShore RailCats. Starter Casey Barnes collected the win after pitching 7.1 innings and allowing just six hits. Aaron Baker pitched perfect baseball for the final 1.2 innings and received the save. Pitching did its job, and so did the bats. 2B Ryan Cavan went 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI, and SS Vladamir Frias went 3-for-3 with one run and one walk.
Gary SouthShore’s 3B Roger Bernal led the team in batting with two hits. Starting pitcher Charle Rosario took the loss but managed to strike out five batters in his 5.1 innings. He also only allowed two earned runs. Reliever Jessie Snodgrass allowed just one hit in 1.2 innings of work.
Grand Prairie 7, Amarillo 4 – Box
The Grand Prairie AirHogs’ bats were alive Wednesday night as they collected 15 to help them to a 7-4 win over the Amarillo Thunderheads. The AirHogs scored a run in each inning between the third and fifth off singles from RF Ronnie Richardson, DH Michael Pair and C Zane Chavez. They added two more runs in the seventh and two in the ninth, highlighted by a Chavez RBI double. He finished the night 4-for-5 with two runs and one RBI. Starting pitcher Brett Wallach recorded the win and a quality start. He pitched 6.2 innings and allowed just two earned runs while striking out five.
The Thunderheads didn’t find quite the same success at the plate, but RF Logan Vick had quite a game. Vick doubled to bring in a run in the third. He tripled two innings later to bring in two runs. And then he singled home a run in the seventh and fell just a home run short of the cycle. Vick finished the game 3-for-4 with one run and three RBIs.
Laredo 3, Joplin 0 – Box
The Laredo Lemurs defeated the Joplin Blasters 3-0 to complete a three-game sweep. The game was actually scoreless for the first six and a half innings, but then Laredo scored all three of its runs in the seventh. LF Dvontrey Richardson first hit a single to third base to bring in a run. An error allowed CF Ty Morrison to come in as the second run. And a ground rule double from RF Denis Phipps scored the third and final run. Richardson led the team with three hits, although Morrison and 2B K Taylor each recorded two.
In the shutout, Lemurs starter Henry Garcia pitched six innings, then Ryan Beckman (who got the win) pitched two more and John Brebbia closed it out in the ninth.
RF Omar Luna had two hits for Joplin in defeat. Starting Blasters pitcher Alberto Castillo didn’t allow a run in his six innings of work.
