Rochester, Minn (June 30th, 2013)–After Sunday’s games, seven teams find themselves within three games of a division lead with just a few days to play in the first half. As the race tightens, games become more competitive and exciting as teams look to clinch a birth in the playoffs.
In St. Cloud, the Duluth Huskies won their 6th game in a row to narrow their deficit in the division chase to just three games. Meanwhile in Battle Creek, the Madison Mallards came up huge with a route of the Bombers to gain a half game lead in the South.
The Waterloo Bucks had an opportunity to keep a strong lead in the North, but a big loss to the Mankato MoonDogs shortened the distance between the Bucks and the other teams in the division.
Eau Claire 9, Wisconsin 5
With a one run deficit through five innings, the Express scored two runs in three consecutive innings to seal the win. Chane Lynch (Dallas Baptist) collected two hits and two RBI to lead the offense. The tough run continues for Wisconsin as they are just 3-7 in their last ten games.
Green Bay 3, Lakeshore 1
The Chinooks had a big opportunity to get a win and gain an edge in the standings on Sunday, but they were unable to to take advantage of it. Garrett Harrison (St. Cloud State) shut Lakeshore down as he allowed just three hits and one run through seven innings of work.
Wisconsin Rapids 8, La Crosse 6
After a weekend sweep of the Loggers, the Rafters have climbed back right into the thick of the South Division race. The Rafters scored six runs in the bottom of the 2nd to get a big lead and put the game away early. Jonathan Moroney (Texas A&M) went 4/4 with two RBI and three runs scored in the victory.
Thunder Bay 10, Alexandria 7
The Blue Anchors got up 5-1 after the top of the 2nd, but a five run bottom of the 2nd and a three-run bottom of the fifth led the Border Cats to victory on Sunday. Corey Kay (Harper College) went 4/5 with three RBI and two runs scored out of the lead off spot.
Duluth 8, St. Cloud 4
The Huskies started off very slowly on offense, but they broke through in the 6th and 7th with a combined seven runs. Keith Curcio (Florida Southern) and Michael Suiter (Kansas) combined for six hits and five RBI in just nine at bats. Suiter also added a stolen base on the night.
Madison 10, Battle Creek 2
The Mallards did the bulk of their damage in the later innings on Sunday in a big win. The route of Battle Creek put the Mallards in first place in the South. The first two hitters in the Madison lineup combined for seven hits, four RBI, and three runs scored in the win.
Mankato 12, Waterloo 5
The MoonDogs took their turn in playing the role of spoiler on Sunday with a route of the Waterloo Bucks. They scored nine times in the first four innings, driven by a four run 2nd, to grab the win. Woody Woodward (UC Santa Brabara) was 3/4 with an RBI and four runs scored to lead the offensive clinic put on by Mankato.
Willmar 18, Rochester 2
The Stingers were upset on Saturday, but they may have responded with their best game of the season on Sunday. They scored four runs or more in three different innings, and they were paced by an eight run 2nd inning . Zack Tillery (Florda Gulf Coast) and Alex Sole (St. Louis) combined for seven hits and eight RBI.
Monday Schedule:
Alexandria vs. Thunder Bay- 1:35
Mankato vs. Waterloo- 6:35
Green Bay vs. Lakeshore- 6:35
Eau Claire vs. Wisconsin- 6:35
Madison vs. Battle Creek- 7:05
La Crosse vs. Wisconsin Rapids- 7:05
Rochester vs. Willmar- 7:05
Duluth vs. St. Cloud- 7:05
