Rochester, Minn (July 1st, 2013)–With the calendar changing months into July, Northwoods League division races are red hot. Due to Monday’s outcomes, cushion was gained in the South while teams kept pace in the North.

Madison won in impressive fashion in Battle Creek on Monday. With an 11-1 route and a loss by Lakeshore, the Mallards increased their lead over the Chinooks by a game. In the North, the Bucks, Huskies, and Stingers all won, which keeps Waterloo’s lead at one game over Willmar and three games over Duluth.

Pitching was great on Monday night as well. Three different shutouts were recorded, and three teams were limited to just one run.

Thunder Bay 5, Alexandria 0

Monday night was all about Clint Knoblauch (Florida Gulf Goast) for the Border Cats. The right-handed pitcher from Florida threw a complete-game shutout with eight strikeouts and just five hits in the win over the Blue Anchors. On offense, the Border Cats got a pair of RBI from their number seven and eight hitters.

Green Bay 4, Lakeshore 0

Derek Peterson (Gonzaga) worked around five walks and four hits to allow zero runs over five innings of work. The Bullfrogs also got a great night out of their bullpen as their relievers combined for four innings and just two hits while striking out four batters.

Wisconsin 4, Eau Claire 2

The Woodchucks have had tough luck for the past couple of weeks, but they got a nice rebound on Monday. Matt Tellor (Southeast Missouri) and Austin Diemer (Cal State Fullerton) each connected on a pair of home runs to help lead the ‘Chucks on offense. For Tellor, he now has six home runs and 33 RBI on the year.

Waterloo 7, Mankato 1

Waterloo controls its own destiny as far as the playoffs are concerned, and they got a little bit closer to their goal on Monday. With the score at 2-1 heading into the bottom of the 6th, the Bucks scored five late unanswered runs en route to the win. Landon Simpson (Arkansas) worked around nine hits and four walks to allow just one run in six innings.

Madison 11, Battle Creek 1

Much like Waterloo, Madison’s path to the post season is clear: win and they’re in. On Monday, the Mallards got huge nights from both their offense and their pitching to dominate the Bombers on the road. With 11 runs and 17 hits, the Mallard offense was great, but they were equally matched by the Madison pitching staff, which allowed just two hits and one run.

Duluth 1, St. Cloud 0 (F/11)

This game was the definition of a pitchers’ duel. In total, there were just nine hits and one run allowed in 22 combined half-innings of work from the pitchers involved. The starting pitchers in this game combined for 15 innings, six hits, and 15 strikeouts as they left offenses baffled all night.

Willmar 6, Rochester 3

With Waterloo winning, the Stingers could not afford to lose on Monday. The good news for Stingers fans is that they emerged victorious. Tyler Leffler (Bradley) led the offensive attack with a home run, two RBI, and two runs scored.

La Crosse 8, Wisconsin Rapids 4

With just a couple of days remaining in the first half, the Rafters badly needed a win on Monday to stay in the race. Unfortunately for Wisconsin Rapids, they were unable to pull off a win. The Loggers got a big night from Michael Katz (William & Mary) who drove in three runs and hit his second home run on the season.

Tuesday Schedule:

Willmar vs. Duluth- 5:05 (Game 1)
Willmar vs. Duluth- 7:35 (Game 2)
Lakeshore vs. Eau Claire- 7:05
Wisconsin vs. Battle Creek- 7:05
Thunder Bay vs. Alexandria- 7:05
Wisconsin Rapids vs. Green Bay- 7:05
St. Cloud vs. Rochester- 7:05
Waterloo vs. Mankato- 7:05
Madison vs. La Crosse- 7:05