Kansas City 5, Laredo 4 – 10 Innings — Box Score
The Kansas City T-Bones loaded up the bases in the top of the 10th inning and broke the tie with a bases-loaded walk to slide past the Laredo Lemurs 5-4.
After the Lemurs tied the score with 2B J.D. Pulfer’s three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, the game needed an extra frame to find a winner. In the 10th, four of the first five batters drew a walk to score the game-winning run.
For the game, CF Tyler Massey went 3-for-4 and both 2B/3B Brett Wiley and C Steve Swingle, who homered in the top of the eighth and drew the decisive walk, added a pair of hits. For the Lemurs, five batters, including Pulfer, had two-hit games.
Lincoln 1, Texas 0 — Box Score
The Lincoln Saltdogs’ pitching staff combined to two-hit the Texas AirHogs and paved the way for a 1-0 win.
Starting pitcher Casey Barnes, who earned the win, went seven innings and gave up just two hits — the first one didn’t come until the sixth inning — and struck out three batters. Reliever Brad Orosey struck out three in a row in the eighth and Reliever Evan Reed shut the door in the ninth to earn the save.
The game’s lone run came in the bottom of the fifth inning when 1B Curt Smith, who went 3-for-4, singled to score CF Robby Kuzdale who had singled earlier in the inning.
St. Paul 5, Sioux Falls 0 — Box Score
The St. Paul Saints, led by starting pitcher John Straka, blanked the Sioux Falls Canaries 5-0.
Straka went seven innings and allowed just five hits and zero walks while striking out six batters to earn his seventh win of the season. The Saints provided run support quickly as they put up four runs in the bottom of the first inning and another in the third. Three of those first inning runs came in the form of a three-run home run from CF Alonzo Harris.
Harris, as well as SS Tanner Vavra, 1B Angelo Songco and 3B Nate Hanson, had a pair of hits on the night. For the Canaries, LF Cameron Monger had a team-high three hits.
Gary SouthShore 8, Fargo-Moorhead 7 — Box Score
The Gary SouthShore RailCats rallied for three crucial runs in the top of the eighth inning to turn a 6-5 deficit into a lead they would not surrender as they held off the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 8-7.
C Jose Gonzalez blasted a two-run home run to give the RailCats a 7-6 lead and later in the inning, RF Matt Petrone drew a bases-loaded walk to add a critical insurance run. The RedHawks went down in order in the eighth but in the ninth, 2B Ryan Pineda hit a solo shot to draw his team back within one run. Reliever Moises Melendez, who earned the win, sat the next three batters down to win the game.
For the game, CF Brennan Metzger went 2-for-5 with three RBI to lead the RailCats. Four different RedHawks had two hits apiece.
Sioux City 8, Winnipeg 4 — Box Score
All nine of the Sioux City Explorers that stepped to the plate against the Winnipeg Goldeye recorded at least one hit as the Explorers claimed an 8-4 win.
LF Derrick Robinson, batting in the leadoff spot, had a team-high three hits and added an RBI. Three other Explorers – SS Nate Samson, DH Brendan Slattery and 1B Jake Kuebler – each added a pair of hits. Slattery had three RBI in the game including his first home run of a season, a two-run blast in the second inning.
For the Goldeyes, CF Reggie Abercrombie went 3-for-4 with a home run and he is now just one round tripper shy of tying the American Association career home run record.
Joplin 7, Wichita 4 — Game 1/7 Innings — Box Score
The Joplin Blasters scored six runs in the final three innings to take the first game of their doubleheader with the Wichita Wingnuts 7-4.
The Blasters trailed 3-1 heading into the top of the fifth but CF Sean Smith blasted a two-run home run to tie the score. C Martin Medina singled home 3B Zack Cox, who went 3-for-4, in the bottom of the frame to tie the score but the Blasters took the lead for the first time with three runs in the top of the sixth.
1B Geraldo Valentin, RF Mark Krueger and C Conor Sullivan each had RBI in the decisive sixth to push the Blasters over the top.
Wichita 6, Joplin 2 – Game 2/7 Innings — Box Score
After dropping the first game of the day, the Wichita Wingnuts bounced back to claim the night cap with the Joplin Blasters 6-2.
1B Matt Chavez went 2-for-2 with two runs and three RBIs to lead the Wingnuts and 3B Zack Cox continued his strong day as he went 2-for-4 in the second contest. For the day, Cox had five hits. The Blasters had just three hits in the game and each was a double. 1B Geraldo Valentin and RF Mark Krueger were responsible for the Blasters’ two RBI.
Reliever Jesse Pratt earned the win for working the fifth inning without allowing a hit.
