Incredible pitching was the story of Thursday night's action in the Northwoods League. Several starting pitchers lowered their already-low earned run averages, and St. Cloud's pitcher took a no-hitter into the eighth inning, as the Rox won their ninth game in a row.
Lakeshore 7, Kenosha 1
The Lakeshore Chinooks led from start to finish to defeat the Kenosha Kingfish 7-1 on Thursday night. Lakeshore scored two in the second, followed by runs in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings for the win. Lakeshore starter Marshall Kasowski (Houston) earned his first win of the season in his fifth appearance and second start. The righthander from Conroe, Texas threw seven innings and allowed just one run on four hits and four walks with 10 strikeouts. Chinooks' first baseman Matt Johnson (South Dakota State) hit his fourth home run of the season on a solo shot in the the bottom of the sixth and finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI.
Mankato 5, Duluth 0
The Mankato MoonDogs shut out the Duluth Huskies 5-0 thanks to another huge performance from their starting pitcher Nate Jones (Northwestern State). The righty from Shreveport, Louisiana threw seven scoreless innings and allowed five hits and three walks with seven strikeouts on the night. Jones improved to 4-0 on the season in five starts and lowered his earned run average to 1.05. The MoonDogs scored three in the fifth with a bases-loaded double from Jordan Washam (La Tech), which was followed by a two-run sixth to give Mankato a 5-0 advantage.
Kalamazoo 4, Green Bay 3
The Kalamazoo Growlers scored in each of the first four innings and held on to beat the Green Bay Bullfrogs 4-3 at home. Kalamazoo put the first two runners on base in the first two innings, and the first three batters reached base in the third. The Growlers received another solid outing from starter BJ Butler (Ball State), who allowed three runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in six innings of work. Butler boosted his record to 2-1 and currently holds a 0.62 earned run average over four starts. Growlers' catcher Nick Hutchins (Southern Illinois) recorded half of the team's hits, as he finished 3-for-4 with a run and a run batted in.
Battle Creek 8, Rochester 5
The Battle Creek Bombers scored eight runs in the bottom of the third inning, and that was enough to defeat the Rochester Honkers 8-5 at home. The Honkers scored four in the top of the first to jump out to the early lead before Battle Creek them up with an eight spot a few innings later. The Bombers sent 12 batters to the plate in the third and recorded six hits, which were the only hits they recorded in the game, and Battle Creek was actually outhit in the game 7-6. Malcolm Grady (Wabash Valley CC) earned the win for the Bombers and allowed four runs (one earned) on five hits and four walks with a strikeout in his season debut.
Wisconsin Rapids 6, Rockford 1
The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters had a big night from their first baseman in a 6-1 victory over the Rockford Rivets. Ben Fisher (Eastern Kentucky) hit 5-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored in the victory. The Rafters had the bases loaded in the top of the seventh with a 3-0 lead, and Fisher stepped up to the plate and ripped a bases-clearing double to give Wisconsin Rapids some breathing room. Chris Cooper (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) had another phenomenal outing on the mound for the Rafters. He threw six scoreless innings on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts to improve to 4-0 and lower his earned run average to 0.37 in four starts.
St. Cloud 10, La Crosse 0
The St. Cloud Rox had a big night offensively, but it was the performance from their pitcher that was the story in a 10-0 win over the La Crosse Loggers. Austin Dubsky (Murray State) carried a no-hitter into the eighth, but Grant Fennell (Nevada) singled to lead off the inning. Dubsky threw eight scoreless innings and allowed the one hit and two walks with five strikeouts. He was also named the Northwoods League Pitcher of the Night for his performance. On the offensive side for St. Cloud, designated hitter Michael Strem (Boston College) hit 2-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored, including a home run for the Rox, who extended their winning streak to nine games.
Waterloo 7, Willmar 2
The Waterloo Bucks recorded 16 hits on Thursday night and took down the Willmar Stingers 7-2 on the road. Waterloo held a 1-0 advantage after a run in the top of the fourth, and the Bucks rallied for four in the sixth to take a 5-0 lead. Waterloo starting pitcher Brett Solano (Menlo College) earned the victory in 6 1/3 innings of work. He allowed two runs on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Waterloo improved to 15-7 and remains one game behind St. Cloud for first place in the North Division, while the Stingers fell to 11-12 on the season.
Wisconsin 10, Madison 7
The Wisconsin Woodchucks defeated the Madison Mallards 10-7 in an offensive battle on Thursday night on the road. Wisconsin starter Robert Zeigler (Kent State University) threw five innings and allowed six runs on six hits and a walk with five strikeouts to improve his record to 2-0. Brandon Lambright (Abilene Christian University) came on and threw four innings of relief and allowed just one run with four strikeouts to pick up the save. Madison smashed three home runs on the night with homers from Sam Armstrong (Jacksonville University), Bryce Carter (Stanford) and Nick Roark (Oral Roberts) in the loss.
Eau Claire 11, Thunder Bay 7
The Eau Claire Express exploded for six runs in the top of the eighth inning to defeat the Thunder Bay Border Cats 11-7. The Border Cats led 5-4 before the Express sent 10 batters to the plate and rallied to make it a 10-5 game in the eighth. Eau Claire centerfielder Daulton Varsho (UW-Milwaukee) crushed his Northwoods League-leading eighth home run in the game and finished 3-for-6 with a RBI and a run scored. Both teams had chances to score even more runs, as the Express left 10 runners on base, while the Border Cats stranded 12 runners. Eau Claire improved to 15-8, which is third place in the North Division and 1 1/2 games out of first.
Friday's Schedule
Kenosha @ Lakeshore (6:35 PM)
Wisconsin Rapids @ Rockford (6:35 PM)
Mankato @ Duluth (6:35 PM)
St. Cloud @ La Crosse (7:05 PM)
Waterloo @ Willmar (7:05 PM)
Wisconsin @ Madison (7:05 PM)
Green Bay @ Kalamazoo (7:05 PM)
Eau Claire @ Thunder Bay (7:05 PM)
Rochester @ Battle Creek (7:05 PM)
