Offense was aplenty in the Northwoods League, as Wisconsin Rapids, Willmar, Eau Claire and Alexandria all scored in the double-digits. The four teams combined for over 55 runs- but pitching was their as well, as Kalamazoo's Ryan Smoyer turned in a complete game shutout. Lakeshore's skid continued as the impressive Woodchucks swept them.

Kalamazoo 2, Green Bay 0

Ryan Smoyer (Notre Dame) turned in a complete game shutout to pick up Pitcher of the Night honors as the Growlers needed just a pair of RBIs from L.K Thompson (Florida International) and Vinny Mallaro (Buffalo). Smoyer struck out nine and lowered his season ERA to 1.78 as he picked up his seventh win. Bullfrogs right-hander Zac Westcott (Nova Southeastern) turned in seven strong innings, allowing just two earned runs while striking out five in the loss.

Wisconsin Rapids 12, Thunder Bay 5

Wisconsin Rapids racked up 12 runs on 16 hits and used a pair of four-run innings to down the BorderCats. Every single member of the Rafters lineup reached base and all but one recorded a RBI. Wisconsin Rapids had just four extra base hits and didn't hit a home run, but were powered by an excellent day at the plate from leadoff hitter Zack Domingues (Long Beach St). Domingues went 3-3 with a pair of runs and RBIs as well as a trio of RBIs. Jake Cage (Azusa Pacific) gave up five runs on 13 hits but still went eight innings for the win.

La Crosse 8, Battle Creek 4

A trio of two-run innings helped La Crosse overcome an early 2-1 deficit and pull away down the later innings. Five Bombers errors made just three of the eight runs earned as they struggled on the defensive side. Nash Knight (Dallas Baptist) and Aaron Knapp (California) both picked up a pair of RBIs to back a strong start form Adam Cline (Columbia). Cline went six innings, and gave up just two runs on three hits while striking out four. Mark Ecker (Texas A&M) struck out six of the seven batters he faced for his first save.

Wisconsin 6, Lakeshore 5

Wisconsin overcame a four-run Chinooks sixth and bounced back in the bottom of the frame to hand Lakeshore their fourth loss in a row. The first place Chinooks are reeling as they've headed in the opposite direction after an 11-game winning streak and now hold just a 1 1/2 game lead on Kenosha. Ryan Howard (Missouri) hit a two-run home run for the Woodchucks and Paul DeJong (Illinois St) added a pair of RBIs. Robby Medel (TCU) picked up his second straight win with six strong innings as he gave up just four earned runs. 

Mankato 7, Duluth 3

Mankato left 10 runners on base but used a our-run eighth to break open a close game and pull away for a 7-3 win. Brinn Bell (Blackhawk CC) went 3-5 with three doubles and three RBIs as a member of a 14-hit Mankato attack. He hit a clutch two-run double in the eighth that cemented the MoonDogs lead. Mitchell Traver (TCU) turned in a quality start as he gave up just two runs over six innings with five strikeouts for his first win of the season. 

Willmar 15, Rochester 8

Willmar put up massive numbers in the second and third to pull away for a 15-8 win. The Stingers jumped ahead 1-0 after one, 7-0 after two and 15-0 after three. Rochester starter Ryan Bower (Allan Hancock) was hammered for seven runs, but his Rochester teammates slowly chipped away. They used three multi-run innings to cut the deficit to seven but it was too much to overcome. Reagan Fowler (Creighton) picked up his second home run of the season on a three-hit, four-RBI night. 

St. Cloud 7, Waterloo 6

St. Cloud jumped out an early 6-0 lead and rallied late for a narrow 7-6 victory. The Bucks scored four runs in the fourth and tied it in the fifth with a pair of runs, but the Rox had an answer. Kade Scivicque (LSU) came home on a costly Waterloo error in the bottom of the seventh to give the Rox the win. Charles Gailiano (Fordham) drove in three runs to back middle reliever Tyler Peitzmeier (Cal State Fullerton), who didn't give up an earned run over 4 1/3 innings with six strikeouts.

Eau Claire 18, Alexandria 11

Both teams combined for 30 runs on 26 hits in an offensive slugfest that lasted almost three and a half hours. The Express, carried by NWL Player of the Night Peter Van Gansen (Cal Poly), came out on top. Van Gansen drove in six runs with a home run and reached base five times as Eau Claire used a pair of six run innings to erase an early 3-2 Blue Anchor lead. Aaron Gretz (Ohio State) made a valiant effor for Alexandria, as he went deep twice on a 4-5 night with five RBIs but the Blue Anchorss couldn't comeback.

In progress: Madison/Kenosha

Saturday's Schedule:

Kalamazoo at Lakeshore (3:30)
Thunder Bay at Rocheter (5:05)
Mankato at Willmar (6:05)
Madison at La Crose (6:05)
Green Bay at Wisconsin (6:05)
Eau Claire at St. Cloud (6:05)
Kalmazoo at Lakeshore (6:35)
Battle Creek at Waterloo (7:05)
Duluth at Alexandria (7:05)
Thunder Bay at Rochester (7:05)
Kenosha at Wiscsonin (7:05)