Only two teams are still undefeated with three games into the young Northwoods League Season. Both teams are from the North Divsion as the Duluth Huskies came from behind tonight to beat the Waterloo Bucks in 10 and the Willmar Stingers defeated Eau Claire in a two-run victory.
Duluth 8, Waterloo 7
The Duluth Huskies needed 10 innings in order to stay undefeated on the young season as they defeated The Waterloo Bucks 8-7. The Waterloo Bucks raced out to a 5-0 lead through the first five innings of the game. The fifth inning featured three runs for the Bucks as Zach Malis (Grand Canyon) knocked in an RBI single and later came around to score from and RBI double. With two outs, Colin Kreiter (Kirkwood CC) delivered his own RBI single. The Huskies got on the board in the seventh from a three-run double by Jim Reemsnyder (St. Johns River) and an RBI fielder's choice. The Bucks retook the lead in the bottom half from a two-run home run by Malis. Duluth then forced extras from a three-run shot by Caleb Robinson (Western Carolina). Brett Milazzo (Minnesota Duluth) scored the eventual game-winner as he advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored from an error by the shortstop.
Wisconsin Rapids 1, Fond du Lac 4
The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders handed the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters its first loss of the season with a 4-1 victory. The Dock Spiders struck first in the second inning. Eric Gilgenbach (Notre Dame) then hit the first home run in Dock Spider history with a two-run shot in the fourth. Orynn Veillon (New Orleans) followed with a solo home run in the seventh. The Rafters lone run of the game came in the eighth when Christian Jones (Campbell) hit a pinch-hit solo home run. Connor Johnson (Catawba College) pitched six scoreless for the Dock Spiders on only four hits, striking out eight and picking up the win.
Lakeshore 13, Madison 0
The Lakeshore Chinooks held the Madison Mallards to only three hits in their 13-0 shutout as they scored in six out of the nine inninngs. The Chinooks struck right away when Zach Biermann (Polk State) hit a two-run shot in the first. RBI doubles scored runs in the second and third and three more came in the fourth for Lakeshore. Biermann then hit a solo shot in the eighth with two outs. The scoring didn't end when the Chinooks scored five more in the final inning. Cyrillo Watson (Illinois) threw seven scoreless on three hits while striking out eight to pick up the win.
Wisconsin 2, Rockford 8
The Rockford Rivets picked up its first win of the season in an 8-2 victory over the Wisconsin Woodchucks after scoring early and holding onto the lead. Cal Aldridge (UW-Whitewater) knocked in an RBI double to get things going for the Rivets and the next batter drove in the second run from a fielder's choice. Aldridge delivered again in the third from an RBI single and later scored on an RBI double. The Chucks got on the board in the fourth from an RBI single by Ivan Nunez (Hillsborough CC). The Woodchucks kept chipping away by scoring another in the sixth, but the Rivets responded for four more in the bottom half. That proved enough to be the final score as Rockford's bullpen threw five and only gave up one run while striking out five.
Green Bay 6, Kenosha 9
The Kenosha Kingfish picked up its first win of the season in a 9-6 victory over the Green Bay Bullfrogs after they hung six in the thrid inning. The Bullfrogs were the first to get on the board with a fielder's choice RBI in the second. The bottom of the third saw six Kingfigh cross the plate. All of the runs came with two outs as Tyler Pausen (Illinois State) hit a two-run single. Derek Bangert (Bradley) then hit a three-run home run and the Kingfish drew a walk with the bases loaded. The Frogs scored once in the top half of the fifth, but Kenosha answered for two more in the bottom half. Green Bay kept battling back as they got four in the sixth with a bases load walk, a fielder's choice RBI and a wild pitch. The Kingfish got an insurance run on a pass ball in the eighth while Billy McKay (Florida) picked up a three inning save.
St. Cloud 12, Rochester 0
The St. Cloud Rox scored ten runs in the first three innings which went onto result in a 12-0 shutout of the Rochester Honkers.Eric Feliz (Notre Dame) hit a solo shot to get things going in the second for the Rox. Luke Ringhofer (South Dakota State) followed with a solo shot of his own. An RBI single and double scored their next two runs and a three-run home run from Matthew Tarantino (Pacific). Two doubles and a triple scored three more runs for the Rox in the third. The thrid home run of the game for the Rox in the ninth when Brent Killman (Georgetown) went deep. The Honkers starter Eddie Mathis (Bellarmine) only lasted two innings as he gave up seven runs on seven hits. The Rox starter Kenny Saez (BYU) threw 5 scoreless on three and struck out 10.
Mankato 6, La Crosse 3
The Mankato MoonDogs scored five runs in the first four as they handed the the La Crosse Loggers their third defeat of the season with a score of 6-3. The MoonDogs got its first run of the game from a Loggers wild pitch in the opening inning. The second run featured an error by the first basemen which brought in Ethan Valdez (Nicholls State). Two more runs came in the third for the MoonDogs, but the Loggers answered with a run in the bottom half. Mankatao scored its fifth run of the game in the fourth, but the Loggers continued to chip away with a run in the bottom of the fifth. The Loggers wouldn't go away quietly as they scored again in the eighth, but the MoonDogs responded in the ninth. Joseph Gerber (Illinois) pitched 1.1 innings to pick up the save for the MoonDogs.
Kalamazoo 3, Battle Creek 6
The Battle Creek Bombers improved to 2-1 with a 6-3 victory over the Kalamazoo Growlers after striking early in the second and adding insurance runs in the seventh. Winston Welch (Arkansas State) got things going in the second with an RBI double. A pair of two out RBI singles drove in the next couple of runs. The Growlers got on the board in the seventh when Kyle Ziegler (Northwood) and Jeff Riedel (Ball State) both scored. The Bombers answered back in the bottom half from an RBI double and a Cody Hawken (Portland) two-run home run. The Growlers got to the Bombers one more time in the eighth, but Tucker Mai (Clarke) pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.
Eau Claire 3, Willmar 5
The Willmar Stingers remain undefeated as they hold off the Eau Claire Express at home in a 5-3 victory. Both teams struck for one run in the first as Nic Ready (Air Force) for the express hit an RBI single and Caleb Ledbetter (Montevallo) knocked in his own RBI single for the Stigners. The Express took the lead in the fourth from a two RBI double by Tanner Umentum (MATC). The Stingers chipped away with an RBI double of their own in the bottom half. Ledbetter delivered again in the fifth with a solo home run and tacked on insurance runs in the eighth. Reliever Stone Kelly (Georgia Gwinnett) pitched the final two for the Stingers to pick up the win.
Thunder Bay 6, Bismarck 7
The Bismarck Larks plated the eventual game winner in the sixth as they defeated the Thunder Bay Border Cats 7-6 for their second win of the season. The Border Cats raced out to a 2-0 lead to start the game off a wild pitch and an RBI single. The Larks responded in the bottom of the second to tie the game and took the lead in the third from back-to-back RBI singles from Quinn Irey (Jamestown) and Cullen Smith (East Tennessee State). The Border Cats retook the lead in the fifth when they scored on a wild pitch and two from a fielder's choice. The Larks answered again the bottom half and twice more in the sixth which would go onto be the final score. Reliever Carson Selin (Bethel) picked up the win by pitching five innings, giving up three runs, only one earned and struck out three.
Schedule for June 2:
Wisconsin @ Rockford (6:35 PM)
Duluth @ Waterloo (6:35 PM)
Green Bay @ Kenosha (7:05 PM)
Eau Claire @ Willmar (7:05 PM)
Rochester @ St. Cloud (7:05 PM)
Fond du Lac @ Wisconsin Rapids (7:05 PM)
Lakeshore @ Madison (7:05 PM)
Mankato @ La Crosse (7:05 PM)
Battle Creek @ Kalamazoo (7:05 PM)
Thunder Bay @ Bismarck (7:35 PM)
