Green Bay 3 – Mankato 1

All the action from Monday’s game came in the fourth inning, as Sam VanDenheuvel’s (Rhode Island) two-run single proved to be the difference maker, as Green Bay topped Mankato 3-1 at Joannes Stadium. After three scoreless innings the MoonDogs (24-12, 1-2) took the lead via a Kyle Knudson (Minnesota) sacrifice fly. The Bullfrogs (16-20, 2-1) answered in the bottom half as they tied the game on a wild pitch. With two out and two in scoring position, VanDenheuvel floated a ball into right field, scoring Nick O’Shea (Minnesota) and Joel Hutter (DMACC) for a 3-1 Green Bay lead. It was a pitcher’s night, as the two squads combined for just nine hits. Craig Gullickson (Clemson) got off to a quick start for the Bullfrogs, as he struck out six MoonDog batters in the first three innings. Gullickson (pictured) hurled six innings, striking out eight in moving to 3-2 on the season. Tim Griffin (Rollins) fell to 3-2 on the season, allowing all three Bullfrog runs in five innings of work. Alex Schmarzo (Saint Mary’s) picked up the two-inning save, throwing two hitless innings and striking out three. Danny Miller (Minnesota State) was the only player on either team with multiple hits, as he picked up two. KC Serna (Oregon) scored the lone MoonDog run.

Rochester 4 – Alexandria 1

The Honkers scored three runs in the first inning and that cushion was more than enough for starter Riley Bevill (Oregon) and a trio of relievers who all turned in impressive performances to earn a 4-1 victory over Alexandria. Drew Beuerlein (UNLV) provided the biggest piece of the offense—a two-run homer in the first inning. With the win Rochester is now 4-1 in the second half while Alexandria is 2-2. The Honkers got to Beetles starter Nick Brown (Iowa) early, to the tune of three runs in the first. Rance Roundy drew a two-out walk prior to an RBI double from P.J. Sequeira, who has climbed his way into the top-10 NWL hitters on his recent hot stretch. The Next batter was Beuerlein, and he crushed a ball off the light pole in right for a two-run homer to make it 3-0 Rochester after one. Bevill did his job in the second, responding to the early run support by putting up a zero and striking out the side in the inning to do it. The Beetles did score a run in the third on three singles, the final one coming from Tim Roberson (Florida Gulf Coast University) and scoring Mikel Alvarez (Florida Gulf Coast University). The Beetles also had their tempers flare in the inning as they became irritated with delayed strike calls form home plate umpire Kyle Cothran. The Alexandria batters would become quite loquacious with their displeasure, and catcher Keith Castillo (USC) was ejected for arguing. Both pitchers settled into nice grooves from there, with the Honkers adding one more run in the sixth on an RBI ground out by Sequeira. Bevill, Danny Brock (St. Louis), Scott McGough (Oregon) and Arik Sikula (Marshall) allowed just one hit over the final four innings to complete the win. Bevill moved to 1-1 on the year with his six strong innings in which he allowed just one run on five hits and struck out eight. Sikula picked up his 11th save with a shutout ninth, striking out two and allowing only a walk. The loss went to Brown to send his record to 2-3, although he turned in seven innings allowing just four runs on seven hits and struck out five for the Beetles. Roberson led the Beetles offense by going 1-for-3 with an RBI. Sequeria and Beuerlein both fueled the Honkers’ attack, each going 1-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI.

St. Cloud 7 – Wisconsin 4

The St Cloud River Bats (2-1) used a 14-hit attack to down the Wisconsin Woodchucks 7-4 in front of 1,469 fans at Joe Faber Field. Nick Sutherland (Viterbo) earned his third win, allowing three earned runs on seven hits over six innings of work. The right-hander struck out six and walked one before departing in the seventh. The Bats took the lead in the third inning on an RBI double from Tony Renda (Cal-Berkeley) and an RBI single from Zac Richard (Xavier). St. Cloud never trailed in the contest. Down two, the Chucks cut the lead in half with a Travis Whitmore (Pittsburgh) RBI single in the fourth inning. St. Cloud responded another run in the bottom half of the inning on a Matt Summers (UC Irvine) sacrifice fly. Summers finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. Six Bats recorded multi-hit games, including Brian Humphries (Pepperine), Richard, Kurt Schlangen (Minnesota), Dan Betteridge (Rutgers), Danny Oh (Cal) and Summers. Jonathan Roof (Michigan State) walked three times and scored twice. Oh’s RBI single in the sixth gave the Bats a 4-1 advantage, but the Woodchucks answered in the bottom of the inning with an RBI double from Brett Krill (UCLA) an RBI ground out from Mike Marshall (Stanford). Nick Longmire (Pacific) doubled in a run in the seventh inning and Betteridge added an RBI single to up the advantage to 6-3. Richard added an RBI grounder in the eighth. Andrew Burkett (Cincinnati) tossed two innings of relief and allowed an unearned run and struck out a pair. With a scoreless ninth, Xavier Esquivel (Loyola Marymount) secured his second save.

Brainerd 4 – Eau Claire 3

In front of 788 fans at Mills Field, Michael Gedman (UMass) threw a beauty against the Eau Claire Express to give the Lunkers the 4-3 victory in Game One of their series. The southpaw Gedman hurled seven innings, scattered only four hits and one run, walked just one, and struck out three. He picked up his third victory of the year and lowered his ERA to 2.23. The Express jumped ahead in the third after an RBI single followed a one-out triple. In the bottom of the inning, the Lunkers answered back. Stephen Wickens (Florida Gulf Coast) started the rally by reaching on a throwing error. Then, Justin Gominsky (Minnesota) singled to put men on first and third. T.J. Berge (Northern Colorado) grounded out, but brought Wickens home in the process to knot the game up at one. Two batters later, Nate Hammes’ (St. Cloud State) sacrifice fly to center scored Gominski. The streak ended on a Zack Stewart (Ohio Dominican) pasted double to the alley that brought home David Valesente (St. Joseph’s). In the seventh, Stephen Wickens scored the final run of the night for the pin stripers to make the score, 4-1. The Express put together a spark of their own in the eighth by plating two runs through a variety of base hits and a defensive error. Ryan Hawthorne (Loyola Marymount) put out the fire though, to keep the lead intact. Drew Smith (Barton CC) entered in the ninth and blanked Eau Claire to preserve the victory, pick up his eighth save of the year, and snap the Lunkers two-game losing streak.

Thunder Bay 6 – Duluth 0

Matt Robertston (Barton CC) pitched a complete game eight-hit shutout as Thunder Bay blanked Duluth 6-0 for its sixth straight win.  Robertson, the younger brother of Detroit Tigers pitcher Nate Roberston, improved to 4-3 by striking out five and walking none.  Walker Moore (Cal St. Fullerton) led the Border Cats going 3-4 with a double and two runs batted in.  Garret Houts (USC) also went 3-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.  Cameron Smith (New Mexico) added his second home run as the Border Cats improved to 3-0.   Jerico Weitzel (Florida) had two hits for the Huskies (1-2).  R.J. Fondon took the loss for Duluth to fall to 2-2.  The lefthander pitched six innings and allowed seven hits and four runs (three earned), with three walks and three strikeouts.

La Crosse 19 – Waterloo 2

A rare off day on Sunday didn’t seem to slow the La Crosse Loggers on their return trip to Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo, Iowa on Monday evening as they would score six times in the first frame and never look back, eventually working their way to a 19-2 victory over the host Bucks. LaCrosse’s 19 runs were one shy of a franchise record, as the 2007 club scored 20 in a 20-15 win over Rochester in June of that season. The surrendered runs were one shy of the Bucks’ mark which was originally set in a 20-5 loss to Rochester in 1995. The Loggers would pound 17 hits on the night with ten different players collecting a safety.  Justin Preckajlo led the way with four hits in seven trips to the plate.  Robert Abel would collect three hits and Austin Knight and Boomer Collins each adding a pair with Collins also blasting his first home run of the summer. The Bucks, slipping to 1-2 in the second half of the 2009 Northwoods League campaign and 10-24 overall, received two hits from catcher Frazier Hall (Southern) to lead a five-hit attack. LaCrosse (2-1, 15-19) picked up strong starting pitching from Steve Gruver (Tennessee), as he went five frames and surrendered only one earned run on three hits and struck out five. The win moved him to 5-0 on the season.

Madison 8 – Battle Creek 5

Four home runs powered the Mallards past the Bombers, 8-5, in a pivotal South Division battle before a crowd of 5,572 at the “Duck Pond” on Monday night. Harold Riggins’ (NC State) seventh home run of the season led off a 4-run fourth inning that was capped by a 3-run shot by Trent Soares (Fresno State) as the Mallards continue to play long ball this season. Madison’s (3-0) four home runs on Monday gave them 35 for the season, 11 more than the team’s previous season-best of 24 back in 2003. Jacob Esch (Georgia Tech) earned his first win of the year with six strong innings, allowing three runs on 10 hits while striking out seven and walking just one. John Hicks (Virginia) gave Madison a lead with his first home run as a Mallard, a solo shot into the home bullpen in left field to lead-off the second inning, putting his team ahead 2-1. For the second inning in a row a Mallard player led off the third frame with a solo homer. This time it was their most prolific home run hitter this season, Harold Riggins, who took a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right field for his seventh long ball of the year. Five batters later, Trent Soares went deep and out with an opposite field 3-run shot to left field to make it 6-1 Mallards. Riggins finished 3-for-4 with a run and two RBI and tied the team record for individual home runs in a season. He ties Francois Larmore of Marshall who hit seven dingers back in 2003. Battle Creek starter, Josh McElwee (Newberry College) finished the game allowing seven runs (6 earned) on eight hits while striking out seven through six innings. In the seventh inning Troy Channing (St. Mary’s) gave the Mallards a little more breathing room with his fifth home run of the year, a no-doubter just to the left of dead center field, giving the Mallards their final tally of the game. Channing finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. He also had a double on the night. Denny Clement (Texas A&M) threw two scoreless innings of relief to earn his fifth save of the season.