Alexandria 10 – Rochester 6
Chase Porch (North Alabama) continued the streak of great starting pitching on Friday, and the offense exploded for ten runs as the Beetles won their franchise record seventh consecutive game. Jeff Burleson (Oral Roberts) took the loss in his Honker debut, lasting just three innings. The right-hander gave up four runs (two earned) while walking two and striking out four. Tyler McKendree (Flagler) worked the final three innings of the game, earning his second save of the year. Alexandria took advantage of the first of three Honker errors, plating a pair of unearned runs in the first inning. Keith Castillo (USC) hit the first of two RBI doubles on the night, and Tim Roberson (FGCU) rolled an RBI groundout. In the third, Roberson came through with another RBI on a sacrifice fly, following another Castillo double which scored Mikel Alvarez (FGCU). Alexandria would increase their lead to 5-0 in the fourth on another Honker error, and 6-0 in the fifth on a Diallo Fon double play ball with the bases loaded. In the sixth, the Honkers homerun swings emerged. Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) launched a solo homer to lead off the inning, and two batters later, Danny Brock (St. Louis) sent one over the center field wall. But, as the evening would prove, the Beetles had an answer. Roberson took a 2-2 pitch over the right-field wall, a three-run homer to aid the lead to 9-3. The Beetles would add one more in the eighth on another Honker error, but Rochester had one more comeback in them. With Tyler McKendree (Flagler) looking to finish the game in his third inning of relief, the Honkers loaded the bases with one out. But the game appeared to be over as William Arnold (Central Michigan) bounced one back to the mound. But McKendree’s toss to second base sailed into centerfield, prolonging the inning. However, McKendree would settle down, getting the game ending groundout two batters later. The win pushes the Beetles to 16-12 and just 2.5 games out of first place. With the loss, the Honkers fall to 14-12 and third place.
Green Bay 2 – Brainerd 1
Aaron Conway continues to increase his league leading steal total, as Green Bay swept Brainerd Lakes Area on Friday night, 2-1, at Jones Sign Field at Joannes Stadium. Conway (Missouri State) led off the contest with a single, before showing off his wheels in the opening inning. In a matter of two pitches, he took second base and then third, before the Lunkers even knew what hit them. Conway now has 23 steals – seven more than Chad Wright of Wisconsin – in just 27 games played. Chuck Lukanen (Northern Illinois) earned the win on the hill after throwing six shutout innings, giving up three hits, and striking out eight. Craig Gullickson (Clemson) struck out one in the ninth to pick up the save. Riley Henricks (Portland) also stole a base, as six Green Bay (13-14) batters recorded a hit on the night. Nick O’Shea (Minnesota) and Chris Schaeffer (North Carolina State) added a RBI. Brainerd Lakes Area (13-14) managed its only run of the night against the Green Bay bullpen in the seventh inning, off a Stephen Wickens (Florida Gulf Coast) sacrifice fly to right field. David Valesente (St. Joesph) scored on the play after reaching on a triple to right center. Brian Garman (Cincinnati) was tagged with the loss after giving up a pair of runs, five hits, and two walks, while striking out three.
Thunder Bay 3 – St. Cloud 2
The St. Cloud River Bats (11-17) were unable to secure a second straight comeback win, falling 3-2 to the Thunder Bay Border Cats (6-22) in front of 1,407 fans at Joe Faber Field. Hugo Hernandez (College of the Canyons) provided an RBI ground out in the seventh inning to tie the game at 2-2, moments after Kurt Schlangen’s (Minnesota) RBI double. The Border Cats would answer in the eighth with an RBI single from A.J. Schugel (Central Arizona College) off of reliever Andrew Burkett. Burkett (Cincinnati) (1-2) got the loss, allowing a run on two hits over a third of an inning. Burkett relieved Kevin Johnson (Cincinnati) who went the first seven innings, allowing just two runs on six hits en route to the no decision. Tyler Powell (Belmont Abbey College) carried a two-hitter into the seventh inning before the Bats two-run inning. Matt Summers (UC Irvine) collected two hits for St. Cloud and reached base three times. Chris Marlowe (Navarro College) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn his third save.
Waterloo 12 – La Crosse 7
The Waterloo Bucks successfully completed the sweep in La Crosse against the Loggers winning 12-7 in a game that included 28 hits and 7 errors. There were plenty of runs often and early with the main inning for Waterloo being the sixth when they scored six runs. Tyler Robbins (Des Moines Area CC) and Zach McCool (Iowa) each contributed two RBI’s in the inning that included six hits and an error to break the game open for Waterloo. Starting pitcher Rick Dodridge (Central Michigan) picked up the win, pitching six innings and giving up five hits and two earned runs. Leading the Bucks offensively was Frazier Hall (Southern) and Willie Argo (Illinois) who each went 3-5 with an RBI for Hall. Logger’s pitcher Aaron Gates (Pepperdine) gets credited with the loss after pitching 2.2 innings and giving up four earned runs.
Madison 3 – Eau Claire 2 (12 Innings)
Eau Claire, WI – June 26, 2009. Jimmy Parque (St. John’s) hit a go-ahead two-out single to score Harold Riggins (NC State) in the 12th inning to give the Mallards a much-needed 3-2 victory over the Eau Claire Express Friday night at Carson Park. The three hour and 49 minute affair was a nail-biter throughout as both teams had a number of scoring opportunities but were unable to capitalize throughout the game. Madison left 14 runners stranded while Eau Claire left 9. Eau Claire would carry a 2-1 lead until the top of the eighth inning. In the eighth with two outs Joe De Pinto (USC) calmly watched two balls and a called strike before belting an inside pitch over the left field wall for a game-tying solo home run. The game would remain tied until the top of the 12th inning. In a contest the Mallards oh-so-badly needed to win, Riggins then wrapped a one-out double to get the Express back on their heels. Jimmy Parque (St. John’s) then provided a clutch two-out single to right field to plate Riggins and take the lead 3-2. Denny Clement (Texas A&M) received his second win of the year after recording the game’s final eight outs without allowing a run (his ERA remains 0.00). Clement also struck out five Express batters. Madison is now 3 games behind the Express with 6 games left in the first half.
Duluth 6 – Mankato 5 (11 Innings)
The Duluth Huskies (12-15) defeated the Mankato MoonDogs (18-9) in 11 innings 6-5 on Friday night. The Huskies brought the lumber getting 11 hits, 2 of them being extra bases. Jared Womack (Oklahoma State) went 3 for 3 on the evening leading Duluth. Womack had a double and the game winning RBI single driving in Melendres. Nathan Melendres (Miami) went 3 for 6, and Nick Rickles (Stetson) added a home run over the left field wall. Jeff Rydman (Campbell) threw 6 and 2/3 strong innings giving up 4 runs on 8 hits. Matt Patterson (Creighton) got the win going 3 and 2/3 innings giving up 0 runs on 2 hits.
Battle Creek 4 – Wisconsin 2 (12 Innings)
It took 12 innings, but the Battle Creek Bombers defeated the Wisconsin Woodchucks on Friday afternoon, the final score 4-2. Josh Valle (Marshall) broke the deadlock in the 12th with a two-out RBI single to left, and Atlee Pearson (Erskine College) closed out the bottom half of the 12th to record his first save of the season. The game was scoreless until the fifth inning, when the Bombers were able to move one runner across the plate. They scored again in the sixth, but were unable to hold on to the lead for long. In the bottom of the seventh, Woodchucks catcher Carson Vitale (Creighton) tied the game up with a two-run blast, his first home run of the season. The score would remain 2-2 through the end of regulation. In the 12th inning, pinch hitter Chris Bangi (Campbell) got things started for the Bombers with a leadoff double. Next, Doug Otto (VCU) laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Bangi to third with one out. Then, with two outs and the bases loaded, Josh Valle ripped a two-RBI single to left, driving in the eventual game-winning runs. Bombers pitchers did an excellent job silencing the Woodchucks’ bats this afternoon, and aside from one mistake pitch to Carson Vitale they dominated the game. The Bombers’ staff allowed only seven hits in 12 innings, walking two and striking out ten. Relief pitcher Tim Mowry (Western Michigan) struck out four of the five batters he faced, and closer R.J. Hively (Cal State Fullerton) threw two scoreless innings, giving him his fourth win of the season. The victory gives the Bombers a four-game winning streak, and put them just two games back of Eau Claire for first place in the South Division with six games remaining in the first half of the season.
