Wisconsin 11 – Brainerd 6
The Wisconsin Woodchucks batted through their order in the third inning to sink the Lunkers, 11-6 in Game One of their series at Mills Field. The Woodchucks scored three runs on two hits and three walks to start the game. In the second, the Lunkers cut the deficit to one though. Zack Stewart (Ohio Dominican) roped a pitch to the wall and slid into third with a 2-RBI triple. However, it was the third inning that put the Lunkers to rest. 13 men batted for Wisconsin, and their eight runs scored came only on two hits. Walks were the key to the Woodchucks’ large inning as the Lunkers surrendered seven walks. In the sixth, the Lunkers plated three more to cut the lead once again. Justin Gominsky (Minnesota) led off with a walk and Hunter Nolen (Northern Colorado) followed with another. Then, Stephen Wickens (Florida Gulf Coast) became the third man to draw a base-on-balls, and all three came around to score. The most dramatic run was the steal of home by Wickens. After that, they just couldn’t muster the same results.
St. Cloud 4 – Mankato 1
The Mankato MoonDogs had their four-game winning streak snapped Wednesday night, as David Deminsky (St. Cloud St.) allowed just four hits through eight innings, as the St. Cloud River Bats derailed the MoonDogs 4-1 at Franklin Rogers Park. The loss was the MoonDogs first of the season at the Frank, as they came into the game 4-0 on the season. After playing sound baseball for such a long stretch, the MoonDogs hit a wall, committing four errors and allowing two unearned runs. Deminsky was brilliant for St. Cloud, allowing just one hit through six innings, retiring 16 straight MoonDogs at one point. He finished the game with five strikeouts, allowing a single unearned run to move to 3-0 on the summer. The River Bats offensive clicked, as Jonathan Roof (Michigan St.), Hugo Hernandez (College of the Canyons), Eric Marzec (Youngstown St.), Nick Longmire (Pacific) and Adam Weisenberger (Miami-Ohio) all had two hits. Longmire and Marzec added RBIs on two solo home runs in the sixth and eighth respectively, while Hernandez doubled in a run in the seventh. Troy Larson (Minnesota) supplied the only run of the evening for the MoonDogs, as he singled home Cody Fick (Evansville) in the eighth.
La Crosse 2 – Green Bay 1 (10 Inn.)
La Crosse used a strong pitching effort from its bullpen and had enough offense Wednesday night as it scored in the 10th inning to take a 2-1 win over Green Bay at Jones Sign Field at Joannes Stadium. La Crosse managed six hits on the night, none coming in the first six innings, as it overcame four fielding mistakes to pick up its eighth win of the season. None of the hits were more important than Justin Preckajlo’s (North Florida) infield groundball RBI single capping a Logger extra inning comeback. Joel Delorit (UW-Stevens Point) and Scott Fern (Minnesota) combined to strikeout 14 batters for Green Bay, but a pair of walks in the La Crosse 10th proved to be the downfall. Delorit pitched a no-hitter into the seventh and struck out nine before allowing two hits in the top of the seventh, earning a no decision. Matt Bywater (Pepperdine) earned the victory out of the bullpen after striking out six in 3.1 innings on the bump, while allowing only two hits and walking none. Pete Woodworth (Florida Gulf Coast) struck out three in 6.2 innings to earn a no decision as the La Crosse starter.
Rochester 11 – Thunder Bay 0
The Honkers scored 11 runs, and only five were earned, as they blew out the last-place Thunder Bay Border Cats in the first of a two game series at Mayo Field tonight. With the win the Honkers are now 7-6, while Thunder Bay fell to 2-11. Rochester scored four runs in the first inning, and that was all the offense the Honkers would need on the night. Three of the four runs were unearned. The theme of poor defense by the Cats and solid hitting by the Honkers continued through the next several innings, as Rochester put up two more runs in each of the third and the fourth innings, and three in the fifth. The Border Cats would commit four more errors for a total of six on the game, and the extra outs combined with the hot bats allowed Rochester to break the game wide open early and take the lead all the way. Roundy led the Honkers offense with a 3-for-5, one run, one RBI night, but most of the run production would come from Auten, who finished at 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Gianis scored two runs of his own and had an RBI and Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and a run scored of his own. The Border Cats didn’t score a run, but both Hamblen and Colin Bear (Northwestern State University) finished the night at 2-for-4. No home runs were hit in the contest, although P.J. Sequeira (Oral Roberts) robbed a would-be home run from Dan Welch (Central Arizona College) for Thunder Bay. Drew Gagnon (Long Beach State) got the start for Rochester, and picked up the win by going six shutout innings allowing just five hits and recording seven strikeouts.
Eau Claire 10 – Battle Creek 0
Chris Odegaard (Mankato) pitched a complete game shutout and helped lead the Eau Claire Express to a 10-0 victory over Battle Creek. It was a huge day for Odegaard and it started in the Major League Baseball draft. Odegaard was selected in the twenty-third round by the Arizona Diamondbacks. That meant that Wednesday night’s start could potentially be his last start as an Express pitcher. If it was indeed Odegaard’s last start, he went out with a bang. Odegaard pitched a complete game shutout and allowed only two hits the entire game. He only seemed to get stronger as the game went on and did not allow a hit after the fourth inning. He struck out twelve batters on the way to the victory. Odegaard was not the only Express player selected in the MLB draft. Joe Bonfe (Sierra College) may have played his last game with the Express Wednesday night as well. Bonfe was drafted in the twenty-first round by the New York Mets. Bonfe followed Odegaard’s lead though, and if it was his last game, he also went out on top. Bonfe finished the game with two hits and three RBIs. Brooks Pinckard (Baylor) also had a big night at the plate finishing the game with three hits, including a triple.
Madison 3 – Duluth 2
It was home sweet home for the Mallards who remained unbeaten at the “Duck Pond”, picking up their seventh straight victory in a 3-2 win over Duluth on Wednesday night. Joe Yermal (Charlotte) earned his third win of the year and Jacob Esch (Georgia Tech) made two outstanding plays at third base, anchoring a defense that wowed a crowd of 5,232. With the win, the Mallards join Eau Claire as the first teams to 10 wins and and are tied with the Express for first place in the Northwoods League South Division with identical 10-3 records. Yermal gave up two runs on seven hits while striking out five batters over six innings and walked none. Matt Morgan (Purdue) and Denny Clement (Texas A&M) preserved the win for Yermal, throwing three innings of no-hit baseball. Clement picked up his first save of the year in his first appearance as a Mallard on the same day he landed in town and joined the team.
Waterloo 3 – Alexandria 2 (10 Inn.)
In an exciting game Wednesday night at Knute Nelson Memorial Park, the Waterloo Bucks came from behind to win in the 10th, beating the Alexandria Beetles 3-2. The Beetles struck first, scoring in the first inning, but the Bucks responded in the third. The Beetles pulled ahead in the seventh, but the Bucks rallied, scoring in the ninth which sent them into extra innings. Finally in the 10th inning, the Bucks secured the win by scoring one run. Catcher Frazier Hall (Southern) hit his first home run of the season, assisting the Bucks in the one run win. Also bringing in runs was Illinois short stop Michael Giller and out fielder Jason Krizan (Dallas Baptist). Closer Bob Lackovic (Creighton) finished the game with three strike outs and earning the win.
Eau Claire’s Chris Odegaard is pictured. (Photo: Marisa Wojcik)
