Rochester, Minn (August 2nd, 2013)–The Northwoods League continues to push towards the end of the season as the league opened another weekend on Friday. With less than two weeks remaining on the schedule, teams continue to battle as they push for the final two playoff spots.
The Lakeshore Chinooks were shut out on Friday by the Wisconsin Woodchucks, which opened up a window of opportunity for the rest of the South Division. La Crosse took advantage of this with an 11-9 win over Madison, and Wisconsin Rapids killed two birds with one stone by beating Eau Claire and gaining a game on Lakeshore in the process.
In the North, three of the top four teams came away with wins. Duluth, Waterloo, and Mankato all won on Friday night, but St. Cloud was unable to match. The Rox fell to the Honkers and lost a crucial game in the standings on the teams ahead of them.
Duluth 8, Alexandria 7
After the Blue Anchors got up 6-0 after two innings, things looked bleak for the Huskies. However, Duluth tied the game by the end of the seventh inning and then gained an opportunity to win in the ninth. Michael Suiter (Kansas) then delivered the game-winning hit in the ninth as the winning run crossed the plate.
La Crosse 11, Madison 9
The Loggers’ offense pounded out 19 hits and overcame their strikeout to walk ratio of 10:2 as an offense to win on Friday. The top four hitters in the lineup combined for 11 hits and seven runs driven in. The win allowed La Crosse to gain a game on Lakeshore.
Waterloo 5, Willmar 4
After the Bucks and Stingers were matched at four after five innings, the Bucks pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the eighth. Despite making two errors and giving up nine hits, the Bucks were able to hold the Stingers in check offensively and came out with the win.
Wisconsin Rapids 13, Eau Claire 5
The Rafters took advantage of a huge opportunity on Friday as they beat Eau Claire with ease. By beating Eau Claire after Lakeshore lost, the Rafters gained a game on two teams in the chase. The Rafters’ number two and three hitters combined for five hits, five runs, and six RBI to lead the offense in the win.
Wisconsin 6, Lakeshore 0
Pitching was the story on Friday for the Wisconsin Woodchucks. Matt Ditman (Rice) threw six innings and combined with the ‘Chucks bullpen to shut out the Chinooks on just two hits allowed. In the performance, the Woodchucks also struck out 13 batters.
Mankato 9, Thunder Bay 4
After getting down two runs in the first inning, the MoonDogs rallied back and scored nine unanswered runs in their route of Thunder Bay. Chase Simpson (Wichita State) led the offense for Mankato as he scored twice and drove in four runs as he contributed his ninth home run on the season. The MoonDogs’ win allowed them to keep pace with the Bucks in a tightly contested North Division race.
Rochester 8, St. Cloud 3
The Rox’ loss on Friday set them back a game in the division chase as the three teams ahead of them grabbed victories. The Honkers set the tone early with four runs in the first inning, which was enough to claim the win. Nick Dolsky (Oklahoma State) pitched five scoreless innings in relief and struck out six batters to help keep the Rox at bay.
Battle Creek 7, Green Bay 4
The Bombers used five runs in the second inning to gain an edge that they would not lose on Friday. The Bombers got a key three-run homer in the decisive second inning. Caleb Vincent (Grand Valley State) made the start for Battle Creek as he tossed seven innings and allowed one run on seven hits while striking out seven and walking none.
Saturday Schedule:
La Crosse vs. Madison- 6:05
Thunder Bay vs. Mankato- 6:05
Rochester vs. St. Cloud- 6:05
Eau Claire vs. Wisconsin Rapids- 6:05
Alexandria vs. Duluth- 6:35
Wisconsin vs. Lakeshore- 6:35
Green Bay vs. Battle Creek- 7:05
Willmar vs. Waterloo- 7:05
