Rochester, Minn (July 16th, 2013)–Tuesday was the night of the MLB All Star game, and it was also a night of plenty of Northwoods League offense. On the night, six different teams managed to reach double digits in runs scored. In fact, there were two games where both offenses reached the milestone and combined for 22 and 27 runs.
One of these games was actually won in incredible fashion. Trailing 10-6 going into the bottom of the ninth inning, the Blue Anchors of Alexandria scored six times to claim the win. The best part was how the winning runs were scored. Albert Baur (Newberry College) launched a walk-off grand slam to send the fans home happy.
In other news, it wouldn’t be another day in the Northwoods League second half without a win from the Waterloo Bucks. This time around, the Bucks won in extra innings after losing the lead in the top of the 10th.
Waterloo 7, Willmar 6 (F/10)
Sometimes to keep rolling teams need to rely on their role players. The Bucks got a big night from their number nine hitter to capture the win against Willmar on Tuesday. Blake Hickman (Iowa) collected two hits and drove in three runs in the win.
Lakeshore 7, Wisconsin 2
The Chinooks scored four runs in the 5th inning, which was the only inning in this game to feature multiple runs. Joe Greenfield (Eastern Illinois) made the start for Lakeshore and pitched solidly. He gave up two runs over six innings of work and struck out six batters while getting the win.
St. Cloud 6, Duluth 5
Both starters pitched well in this game through four innings. Then, in the 5th inning, the teams combined for eight runs as the Rox took a 6-4 lead. The runs given up were tough on Duluth as they surrendered four earned runs on the night, which was easily the difference in the game.
Eau Claire 4, Battle Creek 2
After giving up two runs in the top of the 1st inning, the Express trailed deep into Tuesday night’s game. After tying the game up in the bottom of the 8th, the Express went on to win it in the 9th. Paul Voelker (Dallas Baptist) made another good start as he pitched seven innings and gave up two runs on two hits while striking out eight batters.
Wisconsin Rapids 16, Green Bay 11
After scoring 20 runs the previous night, the Bullfrogs put 11 up on the board against Wisconsin Rapids. This time, however, the Rapids would have the upper hand at the end. In two consecutive games between these two teams, the winning teams have combined for 36 runs.
Alexandria 12, Thunder Bay 10
No lead is ever comfortable in a league with as many quality hitters as the Northwoods. On Tuesday, Alexandria made that feeling a reality when they ended Tuesday’s game with a walk-off home run from Albert Baur (Newberry College) who hit a grand slam. The Blue Anchors were down four heading into the final inning.
Mankato 11, Rochester 3
The MoonDogs scored multiple runs in four of the first six innings on Tuesday to put the Honkers away early. Chase Simpson (Wichita State) went 3/4 with four RBI on the night. He contributed his tenth double and eighth home run to lead the Mankato offensive attack.
La Crosse 12, Madison 5
The Loggers pounded the Mallards on Tuesday with 12 runs on ten hits. The Loggers were able to collect more runs than hits thanks to drawing 11 walks as an offense on Tuesday. Kevin Zak (Grand Valley State) led the charge with three hits and five RBI.
Wednesday Schedule:
La Crosse vs. Eau Claire- 6:35
Lakeshore vs. Battle Creek- 7:05
Thunder Bay vs. Alexandria- 7:05
Green Bay vs. Madison- 7:05
Wisconsin vs. Wisconsin Rapids- 7:05
Waterloo vs. Willmar- 7:05
Duluth vs. St. Cloud- 7:05
Mankato vs. Rochester- 7:05
