The Kalamazoo Growlers started a big two-game series with Madison and took game one. That evened their records at 19-6 for first place in the South. In the North, Duluth fell Willmar, but Bismarck lost, forcing a three-way tie for second with the Larks, Mankato and the Stingers.

 

Waterloo 1, Mankato 9

The Mankato MoonDogs prevented a late rally from the Waterloo Bucks and won the game 9-1. Mankato got one in the opening inning when Blaze Glenn (Youngstown State) hit an RBI single. The MoonDogs got four in the third which came from a pair of two-run base hits from RJ Teijeiro (UCLA) and Andrew Morales (Angelo State). Mankato got another in the fourth and then three in the sixth. Waterloo did manage to get on the board in the top of the ninth when Dawnoven Smith (North Carolina A&T) hit an RBI double, but the next guy grounded out to end the game.

Bismarck 7, La Crosse 10

The La Crosse Loggers went off big in the third inning and defeated the Bismarck Larks 10-7. The Larks jumped on the board right away with three when Michael Farnell (Murray State) went deep for the second consecutive game. The Loggers answered for one in the second, but Bismarck got two more. La Crosse then exploded in the bottom half. Six of the eight came from the long ball by Harrison Freed (Butler), Armani Smith (UCSB) and Kyson Donahue (Arizona). Bismarck managed two in the fifth from a pair of errors, but La Crosse got one more in the sixth. Jon Meyerring (Miami (OH)) came in, pitched four in relief, allowed just one hit and picked up his second save.

St. Cloud 5, Thunder Bay 8

The Thunder Bay Border Cats went off for seven in the first two innings and went on to defeat the St. Cloud Rox 8-5. St. Cloud got its first run in the opening inning when Ryan Weisenberg (Georgetown) hit an RBI single. The Border Cats took the lead in the bottom half for three from a sac fly, error and an RBI single by Evan Russell (Tennessee). Thunder Bay got four more in the second when Billy Cook (Pepperdine) cleared the bases on a double. The Rox got one in the third and then two more in the seventh to come within three. The Cats got one back in the bottom half, the Rox got another in the eighth, but Andrew Gross (UTA) came in an picked up his third save.

Rockford 4, Green Bay 1

The Rockford Rivets used a key third inning to take the lead and defeat the Green Bay Bullfrogs 4-1. The Frogs got one in the bottom of the first on an RBI double by Blaise Maris (Florida Tech). The Rivets took the lead with three In the third which was capped off by Justin Walker (Indiana) knocking in two from a double. Cole Bellair (Tennessee Wesleyan) threw six for Rockford, allowed just one run on five hits and one walk while striking out six. Walker drove in one more in the eighth from a single while Nolan Gazouski (Ball State) picked up his second save.
Rochester 4, Eau Claire 6

The Eau Claire Express used a key seventh inning and defeated the Rochester Honkers 6-4. Eau Claire got one right away in the opening inning. The Honkers took the lead with a two-run shot by Ben Sems (Kansas). Matt Hardy (UC Riverside) homered to lead off the fourth for Rochester, but Eau Claire got one back in the fifth. Sems scored a run in the seventh, but the Express took the lead with four in the bottom half which was started from Scott Ogrin (Cal Poly) going deep with two guys on. Colton Hare (Illinois-Springfield) pitched the final inning for Eau Claire and converted his second save of the season.

Fond du Lac 5, Kenosha 4

The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders prevented a very late rally from the Kenosha Kingfish and won the game 5-4. Fondy got three in the second which was powered by a sac fly, error and RBI single from Mitch Boe (Iowa). Kenosha answered for two in the next inning which was started by Noah Croft (Wichita State) singling in one. The Spiders got one in the fifth, but Croft went deep to bring the Kingfish back within one. Fondy scored in the eighth and with one out in the ninth, the Kingfish got a sac fly for one and then a fly out to end the game.

Wisconsin Rapids 2, Wisconsin 9

The Wisconsin Woodchucks scored eight runs in the first three innings and defeated the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters 9-2. The Woodchucks got five in the second inning. It started when Domenic DeRenzo (Oklahoma State) homered to lead off the second, Cooper Swanson (Florida State) hit one of his own and Reese Alexiades (Pepperdine) cleared the bases with a double. The Chucks got three more in the third, but Rapids responded for two in the fourth. Zach DeLoach (Texas A&M) homered in the sixth for Wisconsin and Orsen Josephina (Palm Beach Atlantic) improved to 2-1 after throwing six strong and striking out six.

Lakeshore 4, Battle Creek 2

The Lakeshore Chinooks used a three-run fifth inning to take the lead and defeat the Battle Creek Bombers 4-2. The Bombers got their first in the second from an RBI single by Riley Tirotta (Dayton). Lakeshore took the lead in the fifth for three which was started by Sebastian Holte-Mancera (Ellsworth) knocking in two from a single. Battle Creek got one back in the bottom half, but the Chinooks doubled in a run in the seventh. Luis Ferrer (UCF) struck out five in 2.2 relief while Nick Campe (Olivet Nazarene) saved his first game of the season.

Duluth 4, Willmar 5

The Willmar Stingers used just two innings to get ahead and defeat the Duluth Huskies 5-4. The Stingers got three in the second which was all started from John Trousdale (Alabama) homering to lead off the inning. Justin Mitchell (Oklahoma) put Duluth on the board in the fourth from a solo shot, but Nic Hernandez (Cal Poly Pamona) knocked in two for Willmar in the fifth by going deep. Trevin Esquerra (Loyal-Marymount) joined the home run parade in a three-run seventh with solo shot for Duluth. Jake Drew (NDSU) pitched the final inning then for the Stingers and saved his third on the season.

Madison 5, Kalamazoo 10

The Kalamazoo Growlers used a big sixth inning and defeated the Madison Mallards 10-5 in a very important game for the North Division race. The Mallards scored right away in the first, but the Growlers tied it in the second. Madison retook the lead in the fourth with one and then David Vinksy (Northwood) hit a two-RBI single in the fifth. The Growlers then went off in the sixth for six. Cayman Richardson (Virginia) managed two form a double and then two more came on an error. The Mallards got one in the seventh, but two more guys scored from the bat of Richardson on a single and error while Nikoh Mitchell (Fresno State) pitched the final two scoreless to end the game.

 

Schedule for June 24:

Lakeshore @ Battle Creek (1:05 PM)
Eau Claire @ Rochester (1:05 PM)

Rockford @ Green Bay (1:05 PM)
St. Cloud @ Thunder Bay (1:35 PM)

Madison @ Kalamazoo (3:05 PM)

Wisconsin Rapids @ Wisconsin (3:05 PM)

Fond du Lac @ Kenosha (4:05 PM)

Bismarck @ La Crosse (5:05 PM)

Duluth @ Willmar (6:05 PM)

Waterloo @ Mankato (6:05 PM)