The Northwoods League featured a few come-from-behind victories, including St. Cloud, who scored nine runs in the top of the ninth to take down Thunder Bay. With several good baseball games, there were also a few games postponed because of weather. Tonight's game between Willmar and Mankato was postponed and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on June 20 with a pair of seven-inning games beginning at 6:05 p.m. The game between La Crosse and Lakeshore was scoreless in the third inning before the game was called. They will resume on Wednesday at 6:05 and finish to nine innings, followed by a seven-inning contest. Following a rain delay, the Waterloo and Rochester game was suspended because of curfew. The remainder of the game will be finished on July 4 in the top of the ninth inning with Waterloo leading 3-2.
St. Cloud 11, Thunder Bay 5
The St. Cloud Rox went off for nine runs in the top of the ninth to defeat the Thunder Bay Border Cats 11-5 on Tuesday night. Trailing 5-2 heading into the ninth, the Rox sent 14 batters to the plate, recorded nine hits in the inning and were also aided by an error. Tied at 5, St. Cloud took the lead with a grand slam from Luke Ringhofer (South Dakota State) to give the Rox a 9-5 advantage. St. Cloud's TJ Friedl (Nevada-Reno) and Ricky Ramirez (McNeese State) both recorded three hits for the Rox, and Bobby Honeyman (Stony Brook University) did the same for Thunder Bay.
Eau Claire 9, Duluth 6
The Eau Claire Express took down the Duluth Huskies for their third consecutive victory on Tuesday night with a 9-6 win on the road. The Express scored four runs in the top of the fourth inning and held an 8-1 advantage after the sixth. Duluth scored three in the seventh and added two more in the eighth, but Eau Claire was able to hang on for the three-run victory. The Huskies recorded a total of nine hits on the night, but Eau Claire did a good job of shutting down the heart of the Duluth order. The top four spots in the Huskies' lineup combined for 0-for-17 at the plate with six strikeouts.
Kalamazoo 8, Wisconsin 3
The Kalamazoo Growlers had a big offensive day with 14 hits, as they took down the Wisconsin Woodchucks 8-3. Kalamazoo catcher Nick Hutchins (Southern Illinois) recorded four hits and scored two runs with a run batted in. Daniel Leckie (Lafayette College) had three hits, and Dan Robinson (Central Michigan) had two for the Growlers. Kalamazoo starter Kevin Marnon (Ball State) was named the Northwoods League Pitcher of the Night with two earned runs allowed on six hits and zero walks over eight innings of works with eight strikeouts. For Wisconsin, Jonathan Foster (Auburn University) finished with a three-hit night. With the win, Kalamazoo moved into sole possession of first place in the South Division with a 10-5 record, while the Woodchucks dropped to 7-7.
Wisconsin Rapids 9, Madison 6
The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters trailed 6-0, but a six-run inning tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, and the Rafters came back to win 9-6 over the Madison Mallards. Wisconsin Rapids recorded five hits and sent 10 batters to the plate in the sixth to tie the game with RBI singles from Joey Morgan (Washington) and Doak Dozier (Virginia) as well as RBI doubles from Rob Calabrese (Illinois-Chicago) and Demetrius Sims (Bethune-Cookman). In the bottom of the eighth, the Rafters took the lead with a two-RBI double by Patrick Cromwell (Clemson), followed by a run-scoring single from from Brandon Polizzi (Cal State – Dominguez Hills).
Green Bay 5, Kenosha 3
The Green Bay Bullfrogs defeated the Kenosha Kingfish 5-3 on Tueday night on the road. The Bullfrogs added two runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 3 and took the lead with bases-loaded balk, followed by a run-scoring fielder's choice from Brian Lees (Southeast Missouri State). Both starters picked up no decisions. Green Bay's Austin Hancock (Lenoir Rhyne University) allowed two earned runs on seven hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Kenosha's Charlie Hecht (Georgia College) allowed three unearned runs on eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts. With the victory, Green Bay improved to 6-9 overall, while the Kingfish fell to 5-10.
Rockford 4, Battle Creek 3
The Rockford Rivets recorded a one-run victory to keep their winning streak alive on Tuesday night with a 4-3 victory over the Battle Creek Bombers. Rockford starter Nick Drahozal (Kirkwood CC) earned the victory in six innings of work. He allowed two runs on six hits and three walks with six strikeouts. The Rivets have now won seven consecutive games and improved to 9-6 on the season for a tie for second place in the South Division. Battle Creek dropped to 8-7 in 2016.
Wednesday's Schedule
Battle Creek @ Rockford (6:35 PM)
Eau Claire @ Duluth (6:35 PM)
Kalamazoo @ Wisconsin (6:35 PM)
Willmar @ Mankato (7:05 PM)
Waterloo @ Rochester (7:05 PM)
St. Cloud @ Thunder Bay (7:05 PM)
Green Bay @ Kenosha (7:05 PM)
Madison @ Wisconsin Rapids (7:05 PM)
Lakeshore @ La Crosse (7:05 PM)