Rochester, Minn (August 10th, 2013)–The third of four playoff spots was claimed on Saturday night as the Duluth Huskies beat the Rochester Honkers on the road by a score of 8-7. The Huskies have earned a date with the Waterloo Bucks in the first round of the playoffs, which will begin in Duluth for game one before heading to Waterloo for games two and three (if necessary).
However, things remain open in the South division. The Lakeshore Chinooks got pounded on the road in Madison while the La Crosse Loggers took care of business at home against Wisconsin. This sets up a scenario in which Lakeshore gets in with a win or La Crosse loss, and La Crosse gets in with both a win and a Lakeshore loss. The team that claims the spot will host Madison in game one on Monday.
Wisconsin Rapids 18, Battle Creek 8
The Rafters poured it on offensively in their win over Battle Creek on Saturday. Wisconsin Rapids capitalized on 20 hits and four Bomber errors in the ten-run win. Jackson Slaid (Montavello) and Michael Jurgella (St. Cloud State) each drove in four runs while Slaid also hit his 13th home run on the season.
Madison 9, Lakeshore 3
The Mallards scored five times in the fateful third inning as they put a hold on Lakeshore’s post season clinching. In what could potentially be a preview of a future playoff series, Drew Weeks (North Florida) went 2/4 with a home run and three runs driven in to lead the Mallards on offense. The Chinooks still clinch on Sunday with a win or a La Crosse loss.
La Crosse 6, Wisconsin 2
After trailing 2-1 through six innings, the Loggers scored five late runs to grab a must-win game from the Wisconsin Woodchucks. Bobby Juan (Minnesota) went 3/4 at the dish with three runs scored and three RBI as he bashed his fourth home run on the season. The win keeps La Crosse alive, but they will need a win and a Lakeshore loss on Sunday to make the post season.
Thunder Bay 18, Alexandria 9
Thunder Bay’s offense exploded for 13 runs between the sixth and eighth innings after the Border Cats were down 9-5 heading into the bottom of the sixth. Adam Collins (Central Michigan) went 5/5 with three runs and five RBI. He was one of five players in the Thunder Bay lineup to record a multi-hit game.
St. Cloud 8, Mankato 6
The Rox accomplished an unbelievable feat as they scored eight times on just four hits on Saturday night. Even though the MoonDogs committed no errors, the Rox still plated the runs thanks to nine walks and some extremely timely hitting. Eric Nyquist (Mercer) pitched six innings and gave up just two earned runs on his way to the win.
Green Bay 5, Eau Claire 2
The Express had a rough go at the office after being eliminated from the playoffs.They committed four errors and walked five batters as the Bullfrogs came away with the win. Robert Youngdahl (Notre Dame) pitched six innings and allowed just two runs on three hits while striking out five and picking up the win.
Duluth 8, Rochester 7
The Huskies clinched a spot in the postseason on Saturday night in comeback fashion against Rochester. Trailing 6-3 after seven innings, the Huskies scored five times in the eighth and held down the Honkers on their way to the win. Jered Meek (New Mexico) picked up the big hit with a two-run single in the eighth to put the Huskies in the lead.
Willmar 4, Waterloo 3
The Stingers were faced with the tall task of needing to beat Waterloo on the road to stay in the race. Even though they accomplished this feat by working around eight walks allowed, the effort would not matter in the end as Duluth clinched with a win of their own. Bret Dahlson (Loyola Marymount) pitched 1.2 scoreless innings out the bullpen to shut down the Bucks late.
Sunday Schedule:
Duluth vs. Rochester- 1:05
Wisconsin vs. La Crosse- 5:05
Lakeshore vs. Madison- 5:05
Alexandria vs. Thunder Bay- 5:05
Battle Creek vs. Wisconsin Rapids- 5:05
Green Bay vs. Eau Claire- 5:05
Mankato vs. St. Cloud- 7:05
Waterloo vs. Willmar- 7:05
Check out highlights from all of the action on our Youtube page.
