Wisconsin Rapids hit four home runs in a key victory over Kenosha to give the Rafters a 6.5 game lead for first place. Battle Creek edged out Wisconsin tonight to put the Bombers ahead of Kenosha by a game in the overall South standings for second place. The Growlers improved to 5-0 in the second half after defeating Rockford by one. Waterloo still holds a game lead over St. Cloud as the Bucks lost to Rochester and the Rox fell to Bismarck.
Waterloo 4, Rochester 6
The Rochester Honkers fought back today and defeated the Waterloo Bucks 6-4. The Bucks scored a pair in the opening inning from RBI singles by Tyler Stover (Louisiana-Lafayette) and Charlie Concannon (Saint Josephs). The Bucks added one more in the fifth from a sac fly. Rochester responded to get on the board with two in the sixth when Konnor Zickefoose (UC Irvine) and Ethan Ibarra (St. Cloud State) scored on errors. The Honkers then took the lead with four in the seventh. Morgan McCullough (Oregon) scored on a bases loaded walk which followed with two RBI singles. The Bucks stayed in the game when there were two outs in the ninth, Keaton Presley (Central Arkansas) scored on a bases loaded walk, but the next batter flew out to end the game.
Eau Claire 6, Duluth 1
The Eau Claire Express added insurance runs in the ninth to defeat the Duluth Huskies 6-1. Duluth scored first in the third when Jake Smith (St. Thomas) came home on an RBI fielder’s choice. Tyrus Greene (California) then put Eau Claire on top in the fifth from a one-out two-run double. Aaron Shortridge (California) threw eight innings for the Express and only gave up the one in the third on six hits while striking out eight. The Express managed to tack on four more in the ninth when Rudy Rott (Ohio) hit an RBI single. A bases loaded walk and a two-run single followed that for three more. Victor Chavez (Scottsdale CC) then came in for his twelfth appearance and pitched a scoreless ninth to end the game.
Battle Creek 9, Wisconsin 7
The Battle Creek Bombers scored seven in the seventh to pull ahead and defeat the Wisconsin Woodchucks 9-7. The Chucks scored first in the third when Stevie Mangrum (Virginia Tech) hit an RBI single. Wisconsin got two more in the fourth after Tristan Clarke (New Orleans) doubled in a run and a run came home from an RBI ground out. Battle Creek got on the board in the fifth when Nikola Vasic (McHenry CC) scored from an error by the catcher on a stolen base attempt. The Chucks managed to get another in the sixth form an RBI single. The Bombers finally took the lead with seven in the seventh which started from an RBI double by Aaron Antonini (Middle Tennessee State). The Bombers got five form RBI singles and another on an RBI ground out. The Chucks came within three in the seventh from a pair, but Battle Creek answered for one more in the ninth. The Woodchucks wouldn’t go away as they got an RBI single from Mangrum in the bottom of the ninth, but the next two batters flew out to end the game.
Wisconsin Rapids 10, Kenosha 8
The Wisconsin Rapids used the home run ball early to defeat the Kenosha Kingfish 10-8. Rapids scored in each of the first five innings to go up 9-0. Dustin Woodcock (SIU-Edwardsville) doubled in a run in the first. Jake Guenther (Sacramento City CC) hit a solo shot in the second and grand slam in the third as Nick Anderson also went deep in the same inning. Jacson McGowan (Purdue) then led off the fifth with a home run for run number nine. Kenosha started a comeback with a two-run shot by Tim Millard (Dallas Baptist) in the sixth. Kenosha added one more in the eighth, but McGowan singled in a run in the top of the ninth. Kenosha began to rally in the ninth as Tyler Paulsen (Illinois State) hit a two-run shot and Derek Bangert (Bradley) knocked in three from a home run. The next batter drew a walk, but Layne Henderson (Azusa Pacific) got the next two to strike out to end the game.
Fond du Lac 8, Madison 3
The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders scored four in the eighth to pull away and defeat the Madison Mallards 8-3. Madison scored first in the opening inning when Cole Daily (Notre Dame) scored on a sac fly. Fondy responded for three in the second which included a sac fly, RBI ground out and an RBI double from KV Edwards (Missouri). Both teams traded runs in the fifth which kept the Spiders’ two-run lead. Madison chipped away at their deficit with one in the sixth form a Cal Aldridge (UW-Whitewater) RBI single. The Dock Spiders finally pulled away with four in the eighth which started from an RBI single and Eric Gilgenbach (Notre Dame) followed with a three-run home run. Mike Pascoe (San Jacinto) put a guy in the ninth, but got the next two out to end the game.
Kalamazoo 4, Rockford 3
The Kalamazoo Growlers broke a tie in the ninth inning and defeated the Rockford Rivets 4-3 as the improve to 5-0 in the second half. Brian Hutchinson (Illinois State) led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run for Rockford. The Rivets added another in the fifth when Jeremy Houston (Indiana) scored on a sac fly. Kalamazoo took the lead with three runs in the sixth which started from an RBI double by Ivan Estrella (Texas Rio Grande). Rockford tied the game in the seventh when Hunter Feduccia (Louisiana State-Eunice) singled in a run. With one out in the top of the ninth, Mitch Bigras (Boston College) doubled and then scored form an RBI single by Kaleb Murphy (USC). Walter Talcott (Earlham) then came in for the ninth and retired the side in-order for his third save of the season.
Green Bay 4, Lakeshore 2
The Green Bay Bullfrogs scored first in the third and never looked back as they went on to defeat the Lakeshore Chinooks 4-2. Green Bay’s two-run third started when Alonzo Jones (Vanderbilt) scored an unearned run from an error by the second basemen. The Chinooks got one back in the sixth when Matthew Mika (Central Florida) scored on a sac fly. The Frogs got two in the seventh from an RBI ground out and a wild pitch. Lakeshore kept fighting back as they got one in the bottom half from an RBI single by Matt Burch (Arkansas). The Bullfrogs then got the final two scoreless to end the game for the win.
Mankato 6, La Crosse 5
The Mankato MoonDogs raced out to an early 5-0 lead and never looked back as they defeated the La Crosse Loggers 6-5. The MoonDogs five-run second started when Zac Wiley (Bellarmine) scored on a bases loaded walk. An RBI single, fielder’s choice and double sent four more for Mankato. The Loggers responded for a pair in the third from a two-run double by David Villar (South Florida). Mankato responded for one more in the fifth when Wiley scored on a bases loaded hit by pitch. The Loggers started a comeback when Villar led off the sixth with a home run and an RBI single added another. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Villar hit another one, but the next batter got out to end the game as Mankato held on.
Thunder Bay 7, Willmar 5
The Thunder Bay Border Cats held off a late rally and defeated the Willmar Stingers 7-5. The Stingers scored first with three in the opening inning when Luke Becker (Kentucky) singled in a run followed by a two-run dinger from Josh Bissonette (Baylor). The Border Cats then took the lead as they put up six in the fifth. Braden Mosley (Southeast Missouri) scored on a bases loaded hit by pitch. Colton Thomas (South Alabama) then hit an RBI single, Colin Rosenbaum (Belmont Abbey) drilled a three-run shot and Noah Strohl (Grossmont) doubled in a run. Willmar got one back in the sixth from an RBI single, but Thunder Bay got it back in the seventh. Willmar stayed alive in the ninth with a fielder’s choice that scored Tyler Murray (Hawaii), but the next batter grounded out to end the game.
St. Cloud 6, Bismarck 7
The Bismarck Larks held off a late rally by the St. Cloud Rox to win 7-6. The Rox scored a pair in the opening inning when Shane Selman (McNeese State) hit an RBI single and he scored from a double and error by the third basemen. The Larks responded for one in the bottom half when Scooter Bynum (Northern Illinois) singled in a run. The Larks took the lead as Ryan Anderson (UC Davis) led off the second with a solo home run. Austin Paschke (Faulkner) added two more later in the inning from a double. The Rox tied it in the sixth when Selman scored again and the Larks issued a walk with the bases loaded. Bismarck answered in the bottom half with three from a two-run single by Paschke and a sac fly. St. Cloud attempted a comeback in the seventh with a run and a Selman solo shot in the ninth. Zach Walz (St. Cloud State) then came on to get the final batter to strikeout and end the game.
Schedule for June 10:
Rochester @ Waterloo (6:35 PM)
Kalamazoo @ Rockford (6:35 PM)
Duluth @ Eau Claire (6:35 PM)
Battle Creek @ Wisconsin (6:35 PM)
Madison @ Fond du Lac (6:35 PM)
Lakeshore @ Green Bay (7:05 PM)
Thunder Bay @ Willmar (7:05 PM)
Mankato @ La Crosse (7:05 PM)
St. Cloud @ Bismarck (7:05 PM)
Wisconsin Rapids @ Kenosha (7:05 PM)
