Photo: James Mirabelli (www.jamesmirabelli.com)

Madison 6 – Waterloo 5

Visiting Madison held off a furious comeback from the home-standing Waterloo Bucks Saturday night to take a 6-5 win and earn a split in the crucial second half Northwoods League Southern Division series at Riverfront Stadium. Waterloo (14-13 second half, 24-36 overall) held a 2-1 lead after one before the Mallards (14-11 second half, 33-26 overall) erupted for three runs in the third on a towering three-run blast over the center field wall by catcher Joe Patterson (Texas A&M), part of a three-for-three, three-RBI night. The Blue, Gold and White trimmed the lead to two runs twice and got it down to one run on a bases-loaded walk to shortstop Michael Giller (Illinois) in the ninth. However, Madison saves leader Dan Burawa (St. John’s) got a strikeout to end the bases-loaded threat. The Bucks’ offense was led by left fielder Pat Stover (Santa Clara). He finished two-for-four with two RBIs. Relief pitcher Eric Julienne (California St.-San Marcos) turned in a strong effort going four innings with three strikeouts and just one earned run surrendered.

Mankato 7 – Thunder Bay 4

After eight innings it looked as if a sputtering MoonDog offense was going to drop its third of four games in Canada. However, a six-run ninth inning rally highlighted by Evan Kohli’s bases clearing double gave the Dogs a 7-4 victory, and series split with Thunder Bay at Port Arthur Stadium on Saturday night. The Dogs (13-14, 36-24) sent 10 men to the plate in the frame, as they scored five of the six runs with two outs. Xorge Carillo (Arizona State) plated the first run in the ninth with a looping double down the right field line to cut the lead to two. After two consecutive outs the Dogs continued to go to work on Thunder Bay (13-13, 22-38) closer Drew Erwin (Nicholls State). After a Danny Miller (Minnesota State) single to right-center scored Carillo, KC Serna (Oregon) then singled and Brenden Webb (Palomar CC) walked. (Illinois St.) followed with his big line-drive double to the left-center gap, plating three runs and putting the MoonDogs up for the first time in the game. Ryan Durant (Iowa) capped the rally with a looping RBI double down the right field line for the sixth MoonDog run of the inning. The six-hit ninth for the Dogs gave them four players with multiple hits. Miller led the way with three hits while Serna went 2-4 with a run. Tony Strazzara (San Diego) went 2-5 with two runs and a home run while Kohli finished 2-4 with a run and three RBI. Cameron Smith (New Mexico) finished the evening a perfect 2-2 to pace the Border Cats. Pitching-wise, Tyler Powell (Belmont Abbey) turned in a solid start, going eight innings and striking out five to take a tough-luck no-decision. Alex Burgos (State College of Florida) earned the win with three near-perfect innings of relief. He moved to 3-2 by striking out three and allowing two base-runners on two HBP. It was a rocky first inning for the Dogs as the Cats sent eight men to the plate en route to three runs. Matty Johnson (Bellevue) walked, stole second, advanced to third and then scored on a Jake Petricka (Indiana State) wild pitch to make it 1-0 Cats. The Cats plated two more runs with two outs. Andrew Schugel (Central Arizona) doubled to bring David Phillips (Ole Miss) in. Curtis Wagner (Santa Clara) immediately followed with another double to make it 3-0 Border Cats after the first. The Border Cats plated what looked to be another insurance run in the sixth when Garret Houts (USC) drove in Derek Hamblen (Belmont) with a single to center. Petricka would settle down, as zeroes were thrown up on the scoreboard until the seventh when Strazzara made it a two-run game. Strazzara blasted a line drive home run down the left field line for his third dinger of the season to start a run of seven unanswered MoonDog runs.

Brainerd 5 – Rochester 3

The Honkers rallied to tie the game at 3-3 in the sixth inning, but a pair of wild pitches by Scott McGough (Oregon) allowed two runs to score in the ninth inning, which also included a passed ball, as the Lunkers emerged with a 5-3 win on Saturday night. Rochester fell to 18-10 with the loss, while Brainerd moved to 13-14 in the second half. The Honkers had plenty of chances early, but couldn’t score on Brainerd starter Luke Rasmussen (Minnesota). Rasmussen issued five walks and hit a batter in just the first three innings, but the Honkers couldn’t bring any of them home. Instead it would be the Lunkers getting on the board first in the top of the fourth inning against Honker starter Bret Mitchell (Minnesota State Mankato). A pair of one-out singles by Mike Kvasnicka (Minnesota) and Michael Gedman (UMass) put runners on for the Lunkers, and David Valesente (St. Joseph) smacked a double to score both and put Brainerd up 2-0. The Honkers scored one in the bottom half of the inning but Brainerd answered back with another run in the top of the fifth to maintain the two run lead. But the Honkers would break through against the bullpen in the sixth. Facing reliever Korie Walkley (Cal State Bakersfield), the Honkers got a leadoff walk before falling victim to two strikeouts, but Corey Jones (Cal State Fullerton) and Aaron Dunsmore (Dayton) both drew walks to load the bases with two outs. Danny Brock (St. Louis) was the next batter, and he connected for a two-run single to left that tied the game at 3-3. The score would stay there until the ninth, with Scott McGough continuing on the mound after coming on for the eighth. He game up singles to two of the first three batters he faced, but it was a pair of wild pitches that allowed both Gedman and Valesente to come home and give the Lunkers a 5-3 lead. Rochester did put itself in a position to rally with one-out singles in the bottom of the ninth by Rance Roundy (UNLV) and Danny Pulfer (Oregon), but Lunkers closer Drew Smith (Barton CC) got a ground out and a strikeout to end the game and complete the victory. Smith had come on in the eighth so he earned the win to move to 2-2, while the loss fell to McGough to send his record to 4-3 overall. Both Corey Jones and Danny Pulfer had two hits for the Honkers, while Brock picked up two RBI. Gedman and Valesente each had two hits for the Lunkers, and combined to score three runs while Valesente added two RBI.

Eau Claire 5 – Wisconsin 3

The Eau Claire Express may have already clinched a playoff birth, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have anything to play for.  With the season winding down, the Express are still playing to get home field advantage in the playoffs.  With their win Saturday night against the Wisconsin Woodchucks it will at worst keep them three games back.  They defeated the Woodchucks 5-3 Saturday night at Carson Park. The Express have come from behind to win their games the past couple of nights, but Saturday they jumped out to a lead.  In the second inning Drew Heithoff (Augustana) hit an RBI double that scored Nate Baumann (Augustana) to give the Express a 1-0 lead. Wisconsin tied the game in the fourth inning with a run of their own.  But the Express responded with three runs in the fifth inning to go ahead 4-1.  Aaron Fujiki (San Diego St.) singled with one out and Nolan Fadness (UW-Oshkosh) followed by reaching on an error.  Matt Fritz (Bradley) laid down a safety squeeze to score Fujiki and Kole Calhoun (Arizona St.) walked.  Brooks Pinckard (Baylor) hit a two-RBI single to put the Express up three. The lead came just in time for starting pitcher Ryan Kiel (Marshall).  Kiel pitched five innings and because the Express took the lead in the fifth he earned the win on the night.  Kiel had mostly been used out of the bullpen this season for the Express, but made the start tonight.  Kiel was effective only allowing three hits over five innings and he struck out three batters. The Woodchucks scored a run in the sixth to get within 4-2, but the Express used an effective bullpen to secure the victory.  Ian Campbell (Yavapai), the bullpen workhorse, pitched the sixth inning while Miguel Ramirez (Tarleton St.) pitched a scoreless seventh inning.  Jason Ganek (UIC) was used as the set up man pitching the eighth inning and he also pitched a scoreless inning.  It was Calhoun’s night to pitch the ninth as he and co-closer Pinckard have shared closing duties since the departure of Devan Kline. Calhoun had a few troubles in the ninth giving up two hits and allowing a run, but with a three run lead, that was more than enough for Calhoun to get it done.  The Express have now won their fourth game in a row and are looking to make a late season charge to get home field advantage.  The La Crosse Loggers lost Saturday night so that puts the Express only two games back of the Loggers for best overall South Division record. 

Green Bay 7 – La Crosse 1

Green Bay’s pitching held La Crosse in check all night and its offense capitalized on several errors and miscues for a 7-1 victory on Saturday night. The win at Jones Sign Field inside Joannes Stadium evened the two-game series and snapped a three-game losing streak. Dixon Anderson (California) and Tyler Lorenz (UW-Stevens Point) combined to allow only four La Crosse hits on the night. Green Bay took a shutout into the ninth inning, but a wild pitch allowed the Loggers only run of the game. As the Bullfrog pitching was getting the job done on the mound, their hitting took advantage of five Loggers errors and two wild pitches. Green Bay (10-17, 24-36) plated three runs, two of which came on a throwing error and a bases loaded wild pitch in the fifth, to bust the game wild open. Jared Andreoli (Western Kentucky) was the catalyst for Green Bay, as he belted a pair of singles, to go along with two runs scored. Aaron Conway (Missouri State) continued to work his way to the Northwoods League record of 45 stolen bases, by stealing two bags on the night. Conway has 37 steals on the year with eight games remaining. Three Loggers recorded at least on hit, as Austin Knight (Dallas Baptist) led the way with two hits. Thomas Collins (Nebraska) scored La Crosse’s only run on a wild throw during the final frame. Anderson tossed seven shutout frames to earn his first win of the season. He struck out five and scattered just to hits. The Bullfrogs put the first tally on the scoreboard in the second frame. Andreoli reached base on a single, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a throwing error. Green Bay tacked on a run for a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Andreoli smacked a base hit and stole third for his 10th steal of the season. Sam VandenHeuvel (Rhode Island) lined a RBI groundball single up the middle to bring home Andreoli. Conway and Paul Hoenecke (UW-Milwaukee) crossed home plate during the fifth inning to push the Bullfrogs advantage to four runs. Jacob House (Arkansas) recorded a RBI in the inning, while Conway stole second base. La Crosse scored its only run of the game during the final frame when Collins scored on a wild throw. Collins reached base on the Loggers only extra base hit of the night, a double down the right-field line. Pete Woodworth (Florida Gulf Coast) was credited with the loss in 4.2 innings on the bump. He allowed five runs – three earned – and scattered six hits. He did fan two batters, but also walked a pair. La Crosse third baseman, Chris Engell (San Diego), had trouble for most of the night on the defensive side of the ball, as he booted four balls.

Battle Creek 4 – St. Cloud 1
St. Cloud 3 – Battle Creek 2

Kurtis Frymier (Michigan State) struck out six Bombers in six innings en route to his fifth win as the St. Cloud River Bats (16-9) defeated the Battle Creek Bombers (13-14) 3-2 in front of 1,689 fans at Joe Faber Field. Earlier, the Bats continued last night’s suspended game and lost a 4-1 decision, before taking the series finale. The Rochester Honkers lost to Brainerd Lakes Area 5-3, so the Bats are now just a half game removed from first place in the north. In game two, both team’s traded runs in the first inning, before Kurt Schlangen (Minnesota) tripled in two runs to give the Bats a 3-1 fourth inning advantage. Schlangen also singled as part of a 2-for-2 night. Connor Lambert earned his seventh save, hurling a scoreless seventh inning while striking out two. Danny Oh (California) singled in a run in the first and finished 1-for-2 with a walk.

Duluth 8 – Alexandria 2
Alexandria 2 – Alexandria 1