St. Cloud 5, Willmar 1
St. Cloud 8, Willmar 1
Hitting and pitching helped the Bats complete a four game sweep of the Willmar Stingers. St. Cloud won both games of the double header. Game one ended 5-1 in the Bats favor. The score read 8-1 in game two.
Mitchell Garver went 4-4 on the night with an RBI and two runs scored in the two games combined.
The Bats received strong starts from both Jon Richard and Michael Fagan. Richard nabbed his third win of the season in a complete game effort. He allowed just five hits, matched with five strikeouts in seven innings of work. Richard permitted just one run.
Michael Fagan made his first Northwoods League start memorable. The Princeton Tiger chalked up 9 strikeouts in five innings of one run baseball.
Waterloo 4, Eau Claire 2
The Waterloo Bucks just missed shutting out the Eau Claire Express for the second game in a row. In the final of at hree-game home stand the Bucks beat Eau Claire 4-2. Jake Powers pitched the first seven innings for the Bucks, striking out four batters. Powers currently has a 3-2 record with Waterloo and a 3.68 earned run average on 44 innings pitched.
Mankato 9, Alexandria 2
The MoonDogs squashed the Alexandria Beetles Monday night, 9-2 at Franklin Rogers Park. The offense was clicking on all cylinders once again, and this time around James McDonald led the offense going 3-for-5 from the plate, with an astounding three doubles, and a run scored. Sam Selman was on the mound for the ‘Dogs and came away with the win, pitching 5.2, giving up four hits, one run and striking out 10 Beetle batters. Shaun Cooper has carried the MoonDogs offense all season, and continued to do so Monday night. Cooper, hit another home run Monday night bringing his season total to 12.
Rochester 8, Duluth 5
Looking for their first three-game series sweep of the season, the newly rejuvenated Rochester Honkers took on the Duluth Huskies today. The Honkers beat the Huskies 8-5 to earn the sweep, and improve their record to 4-1 in the second half, and perched a top the division. Jordan Jakubov made his team high 12th appearance out of the bullpen, pitching four innings, allowing no hits and no runs, while walking four, and striking out three batters. Jakubov would be the winning pitcher on the game for his first victory of the season. The Honkers lone All-Star representative Nick Dolsky would come in for the save. Tony Kemp made his Honker debut yesterday going 0-for-4, but turned it around today going 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. Johnny Coy continued to swing the bat well also, going 2-for-5 with two RBI and one run.
Wisconsin Rapids 2, Madison 0
Another lights out pitching performance from the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters staff Monday night earned the Rafters a third straight victory, a franchise long winning streak, blanking the Madison Mallards 2-0. The win also gives the Rafters franchise their first winning record in any half. The solid pitching night began with the newest Rafter, Paul Schwendel throwing six scoreless innings. Catcher Bart Steponovich helped his starter out of the jam, nabbing a runner on the base paths. This marks the fourth straight game Steponovich has caught a runner stealing.
Battle Creek 4, Wisconsin 3
The Bombers completed their sweep of the Wisconsin Woodchucks Monday night in Battle Creek in a 4-3 10th inning victory. The Chucks tied it in the top of the fourth, but the Bombers pulled out again in the bottom of the inning when Rockett belted a solo homerun and Jordan Dean lifted a sacrifice fly, bringing home Bryce Redeker from third base. The Woodchucks then mounted a two-run comeback sending the game into extras. With one out in the 10th inning, Bryce Redeker provided the heroics and sent a walk-off homerun sailing over the left field fence for the win. Troy Forton continued to be dependable for the Bombers, throwing seven innings and giving up just two runs while striking out three.
Brainerd 9, Thunder Bay 4
Lunker All-Star Steven Brault’s two-run home run to right field in the third, followed up by a five-run bottom of the 6th, propelled the Lunkers to a 9-4 victory Monday night at Mills Field.
Brault’s home run is the second home run of the season at Mills Field.
In addition, with the game deadlocked at four, the Lunkers struck for five runs in the bottom of the 6th. Joe Willman pitched well for the Lunkers, taking a no decision. The Lunker All-Star struck out eight in his 5.2 innings of work. Tyler Sparger came on and pitched two and a third innings of relief, taking the win.
La Crosse 8, Green Bay 7
In arguably the most exciting game of the year, the La Crosse Loggers used Andrew Knapp’s walk-off home run to complete the comeback and defeat the Green Bay Bullfrogs 8-7. Trailing 7-2 in the bottom of the eighth, the Loggers scored five runs including a Tyler Smith three-RBI double, to tie the game. After Michael Schum pitched a perfect ninth inning the Loggers had a chance to win the game. After the first two Loggers were retired, Knapp stepped up to the plate and hit a towering home run over the right field fence to win the game. The home run by Knapp was his first of the season and could not have come at a better time. Knapp was 3-4 with three runs scored and the RBIs.
