Wichita 5, Fargo-Moorhead 4 – Box
The Wichita Wingnuts eked out a run in the ninth inning to break the tie with the Fargo-Moorehead RedHawks to win 5-4. The teams played a back and forth game throughout. Highlights include DH Taylor Oldham’s RBI double in the fourth for Wichita and LF Chad Mozingo’s RBI in the fifth for Fargo-Moorhead. Then it came down to the last inning, and with men on the corners, SS Alberto Gonzalez stepped up and hit the game-winning RBI single.
On the mound, RHP Michael Noteware shined for the RedHawks with two innings pitched and no runs allowed. Wichita’s three relievers – Daniel Bennett, Daniel Carela and Matt Nevarez – combined for a shutout in the final 3.2 innings.
Joplin 8, Amarillo 0 – Box
1B Carlos Ramirez was swinging the bat well Wednesday night in leading the Joplin Blasters to a dominating 8-0 win over the Amarillo Thunderheads. The Blasters got out to a 3-0 lead in the second and never looked back after Ramirez boomed a two-run homer and LF Yasser Gomez hit an RBI single. Ramirez hit another two-run homer in the fifth inning, and he finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBIs. 3B Omar Luna hit a perfect 4-for-4 for Joplin and added three runs and two RBIs.
The Joplin pitching staff combined for a shutout behind four different pitchers. RHP Matt Parish went six strong before Gabe Aguilar, Matt Swilley and Victor Capellan each pitched a scoreless inning. Amarillo relievers Richard Barrett and Kyle Bellows each tossed an inning, allowing no runs.
Sioux Falls 8, Winnipeg 3 – Box
Behind a big five-run fourth inning, the Sioux Falls Canaries held off the Winnipeg Goldeyes by the score of 8-3. In the fourth, four Canaries hit RBI singles: RF Vickash Ramjit, SS Jerome Pena, C Richard Stock and 2B Michael Wing. Six Canaries finished the game with multiple hits, led by Ramjit, who went 2-for-5 with a run and two RBIs. LHP Miguel Pena got the start and win after eight innings with just one earned run given up.
Winnipeg scored all three runs in the first inning off a 1B Casey Haerther RBI single and a Sioux Falls error.
Kansas City 8, Sioux City 1 – Box
The Kansas City T-Bones did its damage in the first and sixth innings to handily take its game over the Sioux City Explorers 8-1. On the eighth pitch of CF Robby Kuzdale’s at bat, he hit a two-RBI single to bring in the game’s first runs. In the sixth, DH Kyle Robinson and SS Vladamir Frias hit homers, and Robinson, 2B Ryan Cavan and LF Nate Tenbrink each hit an RBI single. Twelve Canaries batted that inning, allowing Robinson to bat twice. RHP Casey Barnes pitched seven innings and picked up the win.
The lone Explorers run came off the bat of C Matt Koch, whose RBI single brought in 2B Ryan Court. Sioux City’s RHP Chris Bodishbaugh pitched 2.2 innings without giving up a run.
St. Paul 5, Grand Prairie 2 – Box
With a 5-2 win over the Grand Prairie AirHogs, the St. Paul Saints improved their record to 12-1, the best start in team history. A four-run inning in the third by the Saints allowed them to take the lead and hold on for the rest of the game. With the bases loaded, DH Ian Gac hit a two-run RBI single, then RF Mike Kvasnicka hit a sacrifice fly to score another runner and finally, 1B Angelo Songco hit an RBI single of his own.
The AirHogs scored their two runs in the seventh off a RF Victor Ferrante homer, the lone bright shot at the plate for Grand Prairie. On the mound, RHP Logan Norris came in relief for Grand Prairie and pitched three scoreless innings. St. Paul’s RHP Jeff Shields pitched a stellar seven innings with that Ferrante home run his only mistake. Shields also struck out nine.
Laredo 7, Lincoln 6 – Box
The Laredo Lemurs defeated the Lincoln Saltdogs 7-6 thanks to a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to break the deadlock. The Lemurs scored four runs in the third off two two-run blasts from 3B Juan Silverio and 1B Tony Delmonico. But the Saltdogs would respond. In the top of the seventh, down 4-1, Lincoln would score five. Wild pitches and errors helped the Saltdogs, and C Mitch Canham drove in a run with a single. Immediately, Laredo struck back with a two-RBI double from CF Dvontrey Richardson to make the score 6-6.
In the eighth, DH Abel Nieves singled to center to bring home the final run. RHP Rett Varner, RHP BJ Hyatt and RHP John Brebbia pitched well from the bullpen for the Lemurs. Each pitcher went an inning and allowed no earned runs.
