The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters bounced back after dropping two straight and defeated the Green Bay Bullfrogs as they continue to hold a 4.5 game lead over Kenosha and Battle Creek. Waterloo is slowly losing ground in the North after dropping two straight while St. Cloud has won three and are within a half game of the Bucks.
Rochester 0, Eau Claire 8
The Eau Claire Express only allowed two baserunners in their 8-0 victory over the Rochester Honkers tonight. The game went scoreless until the Express jumped on the board with six runs in the fourth. Tyrus Greene (California) led off the inning with a walk, advanced on an error, another walk and scored from a two-run single. Scott Ogrin (Cal Poly) followed with a two-RBI double and Zach Ashford (Fresno State) hit his own two-run double. Two more came in the seventh when Justin Evans and Ogrin hit back-to-back singles. Rochester’s only threats came in the second from a Zach Zubia (Texas) walk and a Jonathan Fleek (Western Illinois) single in the third. Aaron Shortridge (California) only allowed the one hit and one walk, while striking out seven for his first win of the season.
Madison 7, Fond du Lac 12
The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders scored ten early runs and stopped a late Madison Mallards rally to win 11-7. Fondy opened the game in a big way with six runs in the bottom of the first. Brandon Wulff (Stanford) got the scoring going with an RBI double and he later scored from a two-run double. Chris Cornelius (Missouri) then drove in one from a single and scored from a two-RBI triple. Thomas Smart (Oakton) put the Mallards on the board with an RBI single in the third, but the Spiders put up four more in the bottom half. Madison wouldn’t go away as they got one in the fourth from a wild pitch, but Fondy responded for one in the seventh. The Mallards then started to rally in the ninth. Smart singled to drive in one and he scored from another RBI single. Madison put up their fourth from a fielder’s choice, but the Spiders had a big enough lead to win the game.
Battle Creek 6, Lakeshore 12
The Lakeshore Chinooks used six run scoring innings to defeat the Battle Creek Bombers 12-6. The Bombers were on the board first in the opening inning when Jordan Getzelman (Menlo) drove in a run from a triple. Lakeshore would answer to take the lead with three in the bottom half which started from a Rylan Thomas (Central Florida) RBI single. The Bombers kept with the Chinooks as they responded for three in the second that started from a solo home run by Alec Trela (Memphis). The Chinooks retook the lead in the fourth that started from another RBI by Thomas. Lakeshore continued to pile it on with a pair of runs in each of the next two innings. The Bombers would go onto score one more in the seventh, but Thomas drove in his fifth in the eighth to give the Chinooks a six-run lead to win the game.
Kalamazoo 10, Wisconsin 8
The Kalamazoo Growlers scored nine early runs and defeated the Wisconsin Woodchucks 10-8 tonight. Kalamazoo scored first in the opening inning from a two-run double by Jason Sullivan (Central Michigan). Sullivan later scored the fourth run of the inning from a bases loaded walk. The Growlers then added five more in the second which started from a Matt Koehler (Western Carolina) two-run home run. Already down nine, the Woodchucks started to chip away at their deficit. Brady Lindsly (Oklahoma) started their four-run second inning with an RBI double to right. Yeager Taylor (UC Riverside) hit a solo home run to score number four of the inning. The Chucks would go onto score single runs in the next four innings to come within one. The Growlers then responded for one in the seventh from an RBI triple by Michael Diffey (San Diego State). The final two pitchers for Kalamazoo stopped the Woodchucks and threw three scoreless to end the game.
La Crosse 5, Waterloo 3
The La Crosse Loggers scored two early while tacking on a late insurance run to defeat the Waterloo Bucks 5-3. The Loggers jumped on the board right away in the first when David Villar (South Florida) hit a two-run home run. The Bucks then tied the game in the third when Josh Elvir (Angelina) scored from a bases loaded walk and the next batter Grant Hawkins (Arkansas State) came home from a hit by pitch. The Bucks took the lead in the fourth from an error. The Loggers retied the game in the sixth when Jeremy Ydens (UCLA) scored from a fielder’s choice. Cameron Cannon (Arizona) then drove in the go ahead in the seventh from a single and scored from a single in the ninth. The Loggers got 4.2 scoreless from their bullpen as Cody Ebert (Columbia) picked up the win and Joe Rosenstein (Washington State) got the save.
Thunder Bay 2, Duluth 5
The Duluth Huskies scored five in the third and held off a late rally by the Thunder Bay Border Cats to win 5-2. Duluth started their five-run third with a two out single by Chase Strumpf (UCLA) that score Jake Smith (St. Thomas). Strumpf later scored in the inning from another RBI single and Dean Nevarez (San Diego State) hit a double to score two more. The Border Cats finally got on the board in the seventh as Jean-Francois Garon (Bradley) scored on two errors. Thunder Bay tacked on one more in the eighth from a run scoring single by Garon, but Kevin Folman (North Dakota State) threw a scoreless ninth for his six save of the season.
Kenosha 9, Rockford 7
The Kenosha Kingfish needed 10 innings to pull ahead of the Rockford Rivets and win 9-7. The Kingfish put up two right away in the first when Chris Botsoe (Iowa Western CC) hit an RBI double and scored from another RBI double. Rockford answered to take the lead in the second with three that started from an RBI double by Nate Montgomery (South Suburban). The Rivets added on two more to their lead in the third. The Kingfish came within one with two unearned runs in the sixth. Derek Bangert (Bradley) tied the game for Kenosha in the eighth from an RBI double. The Kingfish took the lead with two in the top of the ninth, but the Rivets answered and forced extras in the bottom half. Anthony Warneke (San Diego City) then put Kenosha ahead for good in the tenth with a single that scored two unearned runs.
Mankato 1, Bismarck 2
The Bismarck Larks won in walk off fashion in the bottom of the ninth as they defeated the Mankato MoonDogs 2-1. The game went scoreless for the first four innings until Ryan Anderson hit an RBI single for the Larks in the bottom of the fifth. The MoonDogs tied the game in the eighth when Nick Vaage (Memphis) scored from a fielder’s choice. In the bottom of the ninth, the Larks had the bases loaded with two outs and Newt Johnson (South Dakota State) got hit by a pitch to score the winning run. The Larks’ starter Tyler Steele (Vanguard) threw seven scoreless, on only two hits and seven strikeouts, but didn’t factor into the decision.
Willmar 1, St. Cloud 3
The St. Cloud Rox put up three early to defeat the Willmar Stingers 3-1. The Rox got on the board first in the bottom half of the opening inning with two runs. Drew Avans (Southeastern Louisiana) scored on a sac fly and Matthew Tarantino (Pacific) scored from a wild pitch. Avans scored once more in the third from a fielder’s choice. Danny Rodriguez (Bethune Cookman) put the Stingers on the board with a solo home run in the fourth, but the Rox starter Carlo Graffeo (Southeastern Louisiana) threw two scoreless to pick up the win. Three St. Cloud Relievers pitched the final three innings to secure the two-run victory.
Wisconsin Rapids 4, Green Bay 2
The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters bounced back after dropping two straight to defeat the Green Bay Bullfrogs 4-2. Rapids got the scoring going right away in the first when Dustin Woodcock (SIU-Edwardsville) knocked in an unearned run from a double. The Frogs responded right away in the bottom half to tie the game when Alonzo Jones (Vanderbilt) scored from a fielder’s choice. Both teams exchanged runs again in the fifth when Christian Jones (Campbell) scored for Rapids and Ben Hart (Oakland) came home for the Frogs. The Rafters finally took the lead for good in the sixth when Woodcock scored from a fielder’s choice. Rapids tacked on one more in the ninth as Layne Henderson (Azusa Pacific) picked up his fourth save of the season.
Schedule for June 22:
La Crosse @ Waterloo (6:35 PM)
Battle Creek @ Lakeshore (6:35 PM)
Thunder Bay @ Duluth (6:35 PM)
Rochester @ Eau Claire (6:35 PM)
Kalamazoo @ Wisconsin (6:35 PM)
Mankato @ Bismarck (7:05 PM)
St. Cloud @ Willmar (7:05 PM)
Green Bay @ Wisconsin Rapids (7:05 PM)
Rockford @ Kenosha (7:05 PM)
Fond du Lac @ Madison (7:05 PM)