Rochester, Minn (August 6th, 2013)–With just a few days left in the season, mother nature made her presence felt on Tuesday. On the night, three games were rained out as conditions were wet and sloppy across the league. However, that did not stop the teams who could play from creating some excitement.
In Waterloo, the Bucks and Chinooks met up in a partial double header. The first game, which was a continuation of a previously suspended game, finished after 15 innings with Waterloo winning 5-1. Lakeshore then fought back and took the second game to cause a split and stay put in the standings.
The race between Duluth and Mankato rages on as both teams won home games against South Division opponents on Tuesday. The two teams combined for 23 and won each of their games in convincing fashion.
Three games were rained out on Tuesday, which sets up a huge day on Wednesday. La Crosse vs. Alexandria, Wisconsin Rapids vs. St. Cloud, and Eau Claire vs. Thunder Bay were all washed out. All three match ups will be remade on Wednesday as part of double headers.
Waterloo 5, Lakeshore 1 (Game 1, F/15)
In a game that was a continuation of a suspended contest from earlier in the season, Waterloo picked up win number 48. Drasen Johnson (Illinois) turned in one of the best relief appearances in league history as a part of the game. Johnson pitched six shutout innings and allowed only two hits as he struck out 11 batters.
Lakeshore 4, Waterloo 3 (Game 2)
After the two teams were tied 3-3 through three innings, the pitchers settled in. The Chinooks broke the tie in the sixth inning as their pitching staff cruised for the win. After a shaky night from their starter, the Chinooks got four shutout innings from their bullpen. Sawyer Polen (Kent State) went 3/4 at the dish with a home run.
Duluth 9, Wisconsin 4
The Huskies continue to remain just ahead of the MoonDogs in the standings as they got another win on Tuesday. The middle of the lineup did the bulk of the damage for the Huskies against Wisconsin as they combined for eight hits and six runs scored on the night. Chris Harvey (Vanderbilt) added two hits, which included a double, while driving in three runs.
Rochester 14, Battle Creek 10
It didn’t take long for runs to score in this game as Rochester and Battle Creek were tied at nine after four innings. However, the Honkers made up the difference by scoring five runs between the sixth and eighth innings. Tyler Baker (Wichita State) went 4/5 at the plate with a home run, three runs scored, and five RBI as he did his job out of the clean up spot.
Mankato 14, Green Bay 4
The MoonDogs took advantage of 20 hits and four Bullfrog errors as they pounded Green Bay on Tuesday. John Michael Twichell (UT-Arlington) continued his monstrous second half as he went 4/5 at the plate with three runs, two RBI, and his 17th home run on the season. The top of the MoonDog order dominated as they kept pace with Duluth.
Madison 4, Willmar 3
The Madison Mallards managed to gain a half game in the standings on the Lakeshore Chinooks with a win on Tuesday against Willmar. After the starter only went one inning for Madison, Ben Neumann (Northern Illinois) came in for some relief help. Neumann pitched 4.2 innings and did not allow a run as he struck out three batters.
Wednesday Schedule:
La Crosse vs. Alexandria- 5:05 (Game 1)
La Crosse vs. Alexandria- 7:05 (Game 2)
Eau Claire vs. Thunder Bay- 5:35 (Game 1)
Eau Claire vs. Thunder Bay- 7:05 (Game 2)
Wisconsin vs. Duluth- 6:35
Lakeshore vs. Waterloo- 6:35
Madison vs. Willmar- 7:05
Battle Creek vs. Rochester- 7:05
Green Bay vs. Mankato- 7:05
Wisconsin Rapids vs. St. Cloud- 7:05 (Game 1)
Wisconsin Rapids vs. St. Cloud- 9:05 (Game 2)