Published On: June 11th, 2009

Eau Claire 4 – Battle Creek 0

The Express starting pitching has been good all season so far.  But the last two nights have been the strongest performances thus far.  Rudy Jaramillo (New Mexico) pitched a complete game shutout and the Eau Claire Express defeated the Battle Creek Bombers 4-0 Thursday night. Jaramillo pitched the second consecutive complete game shutout for the Express following the lead of Chris Odegaard (Mankato).  Jaramillo allowed only four hits on the game and struck out seven batters. Jaramillo also forced the Bombers to hit into three double plays to kill any rally they had. The win was Jaramillo’s second on the year and his first complete game of the season. The Express got on the board early when they scored two unearned runs in the second inning.  Drew Heithoff (Augustana) walked with two outs and then Bobby Rinard (Yavapai) reached on an error by the third baseman.  Jon Ringenberg (Baylor) singled to score Heithoff from second and then Matt Fritz (Bradley) singled to score Rinard.  That gave the Express a 2-0 lead and the game stayed like that until the eighth inning. In the eighth, Rinard grounded into a fielder’s choice to score a run and then Ringenberg concluded a three hit night with a single that gave him his second RBI of the night. The four run lead was more than enough for Jaramillo as he cruised through the Battle Creek lineup.

Rochester 12 – Thunder Bay 4

The Honkers completed the two game sweep of Thunder Bay with some help from one of their own men from north of the border, Aaron Johnson (Illinois) The catcher from Sussex Corner, New Brunswick, Canada, smashed the hardest hit homer Rochester has seen this season for a go-ahead grand slam that highlighted a eight-run third inning and help Rochester roll to a 12-4 victory. The Honkers are now 8-6 overall, while Thunder Bay fell to 2-12. Brian Flynn (Wichita State) got the win to go to 2-0 by pitching six innings allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out five. The loss went to Christian Dekker (NW Missouri State), who lasted just two innings, allowing six runs on five hits and fell to 0-1 on the year. Rance Roundy (UNLV) finished 2-for-5 for Rochester with two runs, while Tony Thompson (Kansas) went 2-for-4 with three runs and an RBI.

Brainerd 10 – Wisconsin 2

The Lunkers pounded out a franchise-high 15 hits, and got a six-hit, complete game performance by Zach Kenyon (Iowa) to beat the Wisconsin Woodchucks, 10-2 at Mills Field. The Lunkers plated one in the first to take the early advantage, but Wisconsin scored two in the third to take the lead. Then, in the sixth, the hitting sticks busted out for the Lunkers. A leadoff single by Michael Kvasnicka (Minnesota) gave way to three consecutive hits by David Valesente (St. Joseph), Justin Gominsky (Minnesota), and Zack Stewart (Ohio Dominican). All four Lunkers had their hands in the five-run sixth inning. In the seventh though, the lumber stayed alive. Kvasnicka, Valesente, Gominsky, Michael Gedman (UMass), and Stewart all contributed to a four-run inning to take the big, eight-run lead. At the plate, Kvasnicka, Valesente, Gominsky, and Stewart all finished the night with three hits apiece. On the mound, Zach Kenyon threw a complete game, six-hitter. He allowed just those two runs, struck out nine, and gave up one hit the entire night to the Woodchucks’ five through nine hitters. For the final six innings, Kenyon retired Wisconsin’s hitters in order, and he picks up his first victory of the season.

La Crosse 3 – Green Bay 1

La Crosse took advantage of Green Bay’s starter early in the contest, scoring a pair of runs on bases loaded walks in the opening inning, to take a 3-1 victory Thursday night at Jones Sign Field at Joannes Stadium. Twice in the first frame La Crosse (9-5) loaded the bases and patiently waited on the Bullfrogs’ (5-8) starter Tim Jolly (La Verne), as he couldn’t find his rhythm or control. The Loggers led off with a double, before being hit-by-a-pitch and reaching on three three-consecutive walks – scoring on twice. La Crosse added an insurance run in the second off Jolly, as he was tabbed with his first loss of the season. He walked five in 1.1 innings of work and allowed three runs – one earned – while striking out two. Steve Gruver (Tennessee) picked up the victory for La Crosse after tossing 4.0 innings, striking out three and allowing three hits. His counterparts out of the bullpen pitched five innings of shutout ball, striking out a combined four and allowing two hits. Jordan McClintick (Loyola-Maymount) earned the save after tossing 2.1 innings and striking out one, while Justin Preckajlo (North Florida) led the Logger offense going 2-for-4 with a run scored and two doubles. Nick O’Shea (Minnesota) and Sam VandenHeuval (Rhode Island) each recorded a pair of hits for the Bullfrogs, with O’Shea scored Green Bay’s only run.

Mankato 5 – St. Cloud 4

In danger of getting swept by St. Cloud, the MoonDogs turned to Danny Miller (MSU-Mankato) and Chris Murrill (Nicholls St.) to bail the squad out. Miller belted a two-run game tying double in the eighth and made a game saving diving catch in the ninth. Murrill followed by belting a walk-off single in the ninth as the MoonDogs defeated the St. Cloud River Bats 5-4 Thursday evening at Franklin Rogers Park. Murrill, who was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 35th round earlier in the day, showed he was worthy of the pick, going 2-5 with a home run and two RBI to complement the game-winner. Along with Miller and Murrill, Troy Larson (Minnesota) added two hits for the MoonDogs, who retained sole possession of first place in the North Division with the victory. Jonathan Roof (Michigan St.) had two hits and two RBI to pace the River Bats, while Hugo Hernandez (UC-Irvine) also had a pair of hits. Adam Jung (Central Arizona) picked up the win for the MoonDogs, moving his record to 2-0. Eric Marzec (Youngstown St.) took the loss, falling to 0-1.

Madison 9 – Duluth 6

Madison’s Cody Winiarski (MATC) was dialed in, earning his second win of the year in a 9-6 win over Duluth at the “Duck Pond”. The Mallards won their eighth straight at home and 10th in the last 11 games overall in sweeping Duluth in front of 6,242 fans on Thursday night. Winiarski (2-0) surrendered two runs (none earned) on three hits over 6.2 innings and retired 18 straight Huskies at one point. The sophomore lowered his ERA to under 3.00 and helped Madison to its fourth series sweep at home this year.
The only real trouble the young right hander had was in the first inning. Duluth’s Pete Cappetta (Illinois) led off the game with a single to center and then scored on a failed pick off attempt to try and get Zach Walters (San Diego) at first base, making the score 1-0 Huskies. Winiarski then sat down the next two batters and went on to retire the next 16 batters after that while facing the minimum in the next five innings.

Alexandria 8 – Waterloo 5

As the old adage goes, it’s better to arrive late than never.The same can be said for the Alexandria offense, which laid dormant for seven innings before springing to life in the eighth, rallying for eight runs to earn a come-from-behind split with the Waterloo Bucks. Chris Pack (Villanova) pitched into eighth inning in the starting role for Waterloo, but after issuing back-to-back walks to start the frame, he was taken out of the game. Then, with a collective sigh of relief, the offense awoke as the wheels of the Bucks’ pitchers fell off. After a Matt Alexander (Air Force) sacrifice fly out, the Beetles strung together back-to-back singles to plate the second run of the inning.  Following a walk, fielder’s choice and another walk, Mike O’Neill (USC) came to the plate with two out and the bases loaded and, on a 3-2 pitch, drew a run-producing walk. Harry Austin (Elon), who started the frame with a walk, drew another free pass on a 3-2 pitch plate the tying run. But the inning wasn’t over.Tim Roberson (FGCU) came up with the bases still loaded and, after a wild pitch brought in the go-ahead run, drove in two with a single into left field. Stealing the show in the middle innings was Austen Siwiec (Valparaiso) who pinned down the Bucks for the final five innings of the game.  Relieving the Beetles debut of Bryce Uhrig (Pepperdine) who lasted just four innings while allowing five runs and five hits, Siwiec didn’t allow a run nor a hit in his lengthy stint, earning his second win of the season.

 

 

Rudy Jaramillo – Eau Claire Express (Photo: Marisa Wojcik)

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