The Growlers are the hottest team in the League right now. They have won six in a row after their big offensive battle against Lakeshore and now sit one game back in the South Division. Madison leads at 15-5 and Kalamazoo has a 14-6 record. In the North, Duluth holds a 1.5 game lead over Mankato with a 14-6 record.
Madison 9, Battle Creek 1
The Madison Mallards used a four run fifth inning and defeated the Battle Creek Bombers 9-1. Madison scored its first run in the third when David Vinsky (Northwood) hit an RBI single. The Mallards got four in the fifth when three came from consecutive homers by Tyler Plantier (Richmond) and Vinsky. Jayse McLean (NDSU) jacked a shot for Madison in the seventh and then Plantier knocked in another in the eighth. Battle Creek got an unearned run in the bottom half, threatened in the ninth, but the ninth inning man Trace Norkus (North Florida) retired the side.
Green Bay 0, Fond du Lac 10
The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders held the Green Bay Bullfrogs to just four hits and won the game 10-0. Fondy got three in the third which was powered by Troy Black (Kentucky) and Jack Wassel (Minnesota) knocking in one of their two RBI of the game. Brad Hudson (Southern Illinois) knocked in two in the fifth from a double and then they put up three more in the sixth. The Dock Spiders got two more in the seventh and eighth for 10. Shane Ritter (Iowa) started and threw six, gave up just three hits and two walks while striking out six. The bullpen threw two guys for the final three innings on one hit and four walks while striking out three.
Rochester 1, Thunder Bay 4
The Thunder Bay Border Cats got out of their major slump and defeated the Rochester Honkers 4-1. The Border Cats got one in the third when Ben McConnell (Fort Scott CC) knocked in one from a double. Thunder Bay went up two in the fourth and then scored a pair in the fifth. Rochester’s only run came in the eighth on an error. Erik Key (Lamar) started for the Border Cats, threw seven scoreless, gave up just five hits and three walks while striking out four. Andrew Gross (UTA) then threw the final two, gave up one unearned and preserved the win.
Kalamazoo 12, Lakeshore 8
The Kalamazoo Growlers battled all game and defeated the Lakeshore Chinooks 12-8. The Growlers got four in the opening inning as three came came from a home run by Niko Kavadas (Notre Dame). The Chinooks cut its deficit in half when Connor Kimple (South Mountain) knocked in two from a triple. Kavadas knocked in another in the second from a single. Kalamazoo got another in the third and then four more in the fourth which was started from another base-knock by Kavadas. Kalamazoo got number 12 in the fifth from a pair, but Lakeshore got four in the bottom half when three came from a homer by Andy Shadid (Bradley). The Chinooks got another two in the sixth, but was then shutdown by Trevor Smisek (Ellsworth CC) in the final 4.1.
St. Cloud 6, Waterloo 9
The Waterloo Bucks got three in the eighth and prevented a late rally from the St. Cloud Rox and won the game 9-6. The Bucks got one right away from the second batter of the game Deion Thompson (Western Illinois) going deep. Brendan Hueth (St. Josephs) then hit a single and knocked in two while another came in from an error. Bobby Seymour (Wake Forest) homered and drove in three for the Rox in the fourth and then tied it in the fifth. The Bucks though went ahead two in the bottom half. Waterloo got another three in the eighth on an error. St. Cloud managed to get two in the ninth, but after an RBI double, the next batter struck out for the game.
Duluth 4, Eau Claire 6
The Eau Claire Express got runs from the fifth inning on and defeated the Duluth Huskies 6-4. The Huskies put up their first in the third, but Eau Claire got a pair in the third. The Express got run number three in the fifth from an RBI double by Andrew Pratt (Lubbock Christian). Eau Claire got another in the sixth, seventh and eighth. The Huskies did managed three in the seventh which was powered by an RBI single by John Lagattuta (UC Berkeley), but Phillip Sikes (New Mexico) converted his second save of the season for Eau Claire.
Rockford 10, Wisconsin 8 (10 Innings)
The Rockford Rivets got the go ahead in the 10th and defeated the Wisconsin Woodchucks 10-8. The Chucks got one in the second inning to go ahead early. Wisconsin got another in the third, but the Rivets went ahead with three which included a two-run shot by Wyatt Mascarella (St. John’s). The Chucks went ahead by one in the fifth when Alex Toral (Miami) went deep. Rockford got another home run in a four-run sixth from Pat Loeffler (Indiana). The Rivets went ahead four in the ninth, but Javier Valdes (FIU) hit a grand slam to force extras. In the top of the 10th, Joe Butler (Illinois State) hit an RBI single to give the Rivets the lead, with another run coming later which ended up being enough to win the game.
Kenosha 1, Wisconsin Rapids 9
The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters scored early and often to defeat the Kenosha Kingfish 9-1. Rapids went ahead three when they got two jacks from Steven Rivas (Long Beach State) and Mitch Mallek (St. Cloud State). Jack Weiller (Virginia) then put Kenosha on the board with an RBI double. The Rafters put up another three which was started from Mallek doubling in another win. Rapids scored one in the seventh and then two more in the eighth. Trayson Kubo (Stephen F. Austin) improved to 3-0 with seven innings, one run and four hits, two walks while striking out six.
Bismarck 8, La Crosse 4
The Bismarck Larks used a big sixth inning and defeated the La Crosse Loggers 8-4. The Loggers held a three-run lead after four which was concluded by Steve Mann (Duke) leading off the fourth with a home run. The Larks went up two in the sixth which was powered by a three-run shot from Matthew Warkentin (Xavier). The Larks capitalized from three errors in the ninth while the Loggers scored once in the bottom half, but the side was retired to end the game.
Mankato 7, Willmar 1 (7 Innings)
The Mankato MoonDogs defeated the Willmar Stingers in a rain-shortened game which ended in the seventh inning. The Stingers were led by Richie Garcia (FGCU) and Tyler Reichenborn (Iowa Western) who reached base each time tonight as Garcia had the lone RBI for them. Reichenborn went 2 for 2 tonight with the only run scored.
Schedule for June 19:
La Crosse @ Duluth (6:35 PM)
Waterloo @ Eau Claire (6:35 PM)
Wisconsin @ Fond du Lac (6:35 PM)
Wisconsin Rapids @ Lakeshore (6:35 PM)
Willmar @ Bismarck (7:05 PM)
Kenosha @ Battle Creek (7:05 PM)
Thunder Bay @ Rochester (7:05 PM)
Kalamazoo @ Green Bay (7:05 PM)
St. Cloud @ Mankato (7:05 PM)
Rockford @ Madison (7:05 PM)
