There was no shortage of baseball on Saturday, as the Kalamazoo Growlers and Battle Creek Bombers played three games, while there were two other doubleheaders, including in Bismarck where the Bull Moose and Larks split a pair of games. The Waterloo Bucks put up plenty of runs as they swept their doubleheader from the Willmar Stingers.
North Dakota Pod
Bismarck Bull Moose 16 Bismarck Larks 7
The Bull Moose got the doubleheader started on a good note Saturday, as they scored eight runs in the second to take an 11-4 lead that they would end up extending, finishing the game with a commanding 16-7 victory. Noah Hemphill (Missouri Baptist) was 2-5 for the Bull Moose with five runs batted in to lead both teams. Torin Montgomery (Boise State) was 2-4, with a run scored and three driven in. Ben Teel (University of Montevallo) was 2-4, with three runs scored and three runs batted in. Michael Ross (Tiffin University) ended up getting credited with the win after throwing five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. Ike Buxton (Boise State) settled things down, throwing three innings, allowing a run on one hit and recording five strikeouts.
Bismarck Larks 2 Bismarck Bull Moose 0
The Larks got their revenge in the nightcap, where they won a narrow 2-0 decision to split the doubleheader. Wyatt Ulrich (Richmond) was 2-3 for the Larks, with a run scored. Chase Adkison (Boise State) was 1-4 for the Larks with an RBI while Brody Tanksley (Indiana University Southeast) was also 1-4 with an RBI. Seth Brewer (Northern State) got the start and turned in a masterful performance, going six innings, allowing no runs on four hits and striking out nine batters to earn his third win of the season. Blake Gallagher (Minot State) came on and threw one perfect inning to pick up the save.
Minnesota-Iowa Pod
Waterloo Bucks 13 Willmar Stingers 6
The Bucks offense was on fire in game one of their doubleheader thanks to Patrick Ferguson (Gardner-Webb), who was 4-6, with a double, a home run and four runs batted in. Peyton Williams (Iowa) finished 2-5, with a double, a home run and two RBI while Oraj Anu (Kentucky) had a double and two RBI. Xane Washington (Nicholls State) had a triple and three RBI to round out the Waterloo offense. Beau Balado (Nicholls State) got the win, throwing three innings, allowing two runs on two hits with four strikeouts.
Waterloo Bucks 18 Willmar Stingers 3
The Bucks continued their offensive onslaught in the second game, led by Dalton Shuffield (Texas State), who was 3-5 with a home run and four RBI while Tristan Peterson (Washington State) was 3-5 at the plate, with three RBI and two runs scored.Cameron Thompson (Kansas State) recorded three hits, with a double and two RBI while John Wuthrich (Texas State) was 2-6 with a run scored and two RBI. Duncan Davitt (Iowa) got the start for Waterloo and threw four and one-third of an inning, allowing no runs on four hits while striking out five batters. Zach Button (Cal Poly) threw three and two-thirds of an inning, with two runs allowed and four strikeouts to claim his first win of the season.
Mankato MoonDogs 6 Rochester Honkers 3
There wasn’t a single offensive outburst for the MoonDogs on Saturday, but they were able to slowly build an early lead, and were able to hang on for a 6-3 road win over the Honkers. Zach Kokoska (Kansas State) was 2-5 for Mankato, with a double and three RBI. Jake Thompson (Oklahoma State) was 1-3, with a home run and two RBI while Michael Curialle (UCLA) was 1-3 with a pair of runs scored. Shane Gray (University of Evansville) was tabbed as the starting pitcher for the MoonDogs and threw six innings, allowing two runs on eight hits and striking out four batters to improve to 2-2 on the season. Tyler Eckberg (Kansas State) threw one scoreless inning to earn his second save of the season.
Michigan Pod
Kalamazoo Growlers 2 Battle Creek Bombers 1
The Growlers scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth to walk-off the Bombers in game one of a tripleheader at Homer Stryker Field. Cade Simmons (Mississippi) led off the inning with a double to left field. He would steal third before scoring on a wild pitch to tie the game. Carson Greene (Stanford University) provided the winning run when he singled into center field, scoring Blake Dunn (Western Michigan) and giving Kalamazoo the win. Greene ended up the offensive leader for the Growlers, going 3-3 with the only RBI of the game for Kalamazoo. Aaron Hubbell (Belmont University) was the winning pitcher, throwing two scoreless innings to claim his third win of the season.
Kalamazoo Growlers 3 Battle Creek Bombers 2
Game two didn’t feature a walk-off, but it still resulted in a Growlers win, as they slipped past the Bombers 3-2. Blake Dunn (Western Michigan) was 1-3 with a double and an RBI while Ryan Marra (Brown University) was 1-2 with a run scored and an RBI. Kalamazoo got some solid pitching from Eamon Horwedel (Ohio University), who threw four innings, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out three batters to pick up his first win of the season. Andre Orselli (Ball State) threw one scoreless inning to get his second save of the season.
Battle Creek Bombers 2 Kalamazoo Growlers 0
The Bombers were able to avoid a sweep on Saturday, as they took game three from the Growlers 2-0, though the Growlers nearly picked up their second walk-off win of the day. There were runners on first and third with two outs for Jake Topolski (Duke), who ripped a high fly ball to the left field fence, but Battle Creek left fielder Joseph Mason (University of Mount Olive) was able to haul it in, giving the Bombers their only win of the day. Tyler Wardwell (Miami University Ohio) was the offensive leader for Battle Creek, going 2-2 at the plate with a pair of doubles and two RBI. Christian Grigsby (Lamar University) threw a complete game one-hitter, walking four batters and recording five strikeouts to improve to 3-0 on the season.
Traverse City Pit Spitters 9 Great Lakes Resorters 0
The Pit Spitters loaded all their offense in the first half of the game, as they didn’t score a single run from the fifth inning on. Chris Monroe (University of Illinois at Springfield) had a monster of a game at the plate, going 2-5 with two runs scored and five RBI. Evan Maday (Hope College) finished 2-4 with two RBI while Mario Camilletti (Central Michigan) and Tito Flores (Michigan) both drove in a single run. Traverse City used five pitchers, with Kyle Jones (Toledo) throwing two relief innings, allowing two hits and recording a pair of strikeouts to pick up the win.
Kenosha Series
Kenosha Kingfish 4 K-Town Bobbers 3
The Kingfish scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to rally and take a 4-3 win from the Bobbers. Alex Helmin (Xavier) was the walk-off hero for Kenosha, as he doubled to center field to allow Mitchell Buban (Wisconsin-Milwaukee) to come across with the game-winning run. It was the second hit of the night for Helmin, who finished 2-4 with a double and an RBI. Kyle Gendron (Winona State) got the start and threw six innings, allowing three runs on six hits with one strikeout. David Blackburn (Hendrix College) got the win after throwing one scoreless inning.
Wisconsin-Illinois Pod
La Crosse Loggers 9 Wisconsin Woodchucks 3
The Loggers broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the seventh before adding three more in the ninth to take a 9-3 win from the Woodchucks Saturday night. JT Thompson (Texas State) was the offensive leader for the Loggers, going 2-5 with a double, a run scored and two RBI. Kyson Donahue (Arizona) was 3-5 at the plate, with two runs scored and an RBI. Jayson Hibbard (College of Southern Idaho) threw five strong relief innings, scattering three hits and picking up three strikeouts to claim his first win of the season.
Green Bay Booyah 6 Fond du Lac Dock Spiders 5
The Booyah scored all of their runs in the sixth inning to steal a road win from the Dock Spiders on Saturday. Nick Kreutzer (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) was 2-4 on the night, with a double, a run scored and two RBI. Bo Majkowski (Clemson) was 2-4 with an RBI for the Booyah. Jack Sauser (Northwestern University) got the win after throwing two and two-thirds of an inning, allowing a run on a hit with two strikeouts. Dalton Wiggins (Marietta College) then threw two and one-third of an inning with three strikeouts while Joe Taylor (Nicholls State) threw one and two-thirds of an inning to pick up the save.
Wisconsin Rapids Rafters 3 Rockford Rivets 1
The Rafters scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to top the Rivets Saturday night. Billy Cook (Pepperdine University) was 2-3 at the plate with an RBI while Roman Trujillo (Davenport University) was 2-3 with a run scored for the Rafters. Spencer Arrighetti (Louisiana Lafayette) got the start and threw three innings, allowing just one hit and striking out six batters. Gabe Levy (Davidson College) picked up the win after throwing three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out three batters.
Schedule for Sunday July 26 (All times Central unless noted)
Wisconsin Woodchucks at Green Bay Booyah 1:05 p.m.
Rochester Honkers at Mankato MoonDogs 1:05 p.m.
Kalamazoo Mac Daddies at Kalamazoo Growlers 2:30 p.m. ET/5:15 p.m. ET/8 p.m. ET
Fond du Lac Dock Spiders at Rockford Rivets 3:05 p.m.
Great Lakes Resorters at Traverse City Pit Spitters 5:05 p.m. ET
K-Town Bobbers at Kenosha Kingfish 4:05 p.m.
Wisconsin Rapids Rafters at La Crosse Loggers 5:05 p.m.
