GRIZZLIES AND WILD THINGS BOTH SWEEP
Gateway vs New Jersey
The Gateway Grizzlies (8-1) swept the New Jersey Jackals (4-4) in the Sunday afternoon doubleheader winning the first game by a score of 8-7 and the second game by a score of 6-2. In the first game, Gateway took leads in the second and third inning, going ahead 1-0 on a Clint Freeman sacrifice fly, then 3-1 on a fielder's choice and error off the bat of Jay Prather and an RBI single by Abdiel Diaz. But the Jackals rallied both times, as Josh Rehwaldt homered to knot the score at 1-1, and then the Jackals batted around to score six runs in the bottom of the third against Matt Mulhearn, taking a 7-3 lead that held until the top of the sixth. The Grizzlies would then make their first comeback of the day. With two outs, the bases empty, and an 0-2 count on Cam Touchette, the rookie reached on an infield single, and Andrew Penner walked to set up Trevor Achenbach, who promptly made it a 7-6 game with a three-run home run. Isaac Benard then stepped up and tied the game with a home run of his own to right field, making it 7-7. Then, after Colton Easterwood (1-0) got out of a jam in the bottom of the sixth, the Grizzlies loaded the bases with two outs for Achenbach again, and he drew a bases-loaded walk from Juan Perez (0-1) to put Gateway ahead 8-7. John Murphy then pitched a scoreless bottom half of the inning for the save, as the Grizzlies clinched the series. In the second contest, the Jackals took the early lead in the first inning against Sam Gardner (1-0), as Alfredo Marte hit a two-run homer to put the home team up 2-0. On the mound, former Grizzlie Jorge Tavarez (2-1) vexed the current Grizzlies lineup, striking out eight batters in his first five innings of work while holding Gateway off the board on just four singles.But again, in the sixth, the tide turned in the Grizzlies' favor. Achenbach led off with an infield hit, and after Benard moved him to second on a groundout, Jose Rosario put Gateway on the board with an RBI double off his former teammate for a 2-1 score. Prather followed in kind with an RBI single off the glove of the diving shortstop Edward Salcedo to tie the game at 2-2.In the seventh, Tavarez remained in the game, and after a strikeout led off the inning, the Grizzlies pounced again. Penner tripled down the right field line, and later, with the bases loaded, Rosario came through again with a go-ahead, two-run double down the left field line to make the score 4-2. Prather followed yet again with a two-run double of his own for a 6-2 lead, and Carson Cupo shut the Jackals down in the bottom half to secure the remarkable series sweep.
Empire State vs Washington
The Washington Wild Things (5-4) defeated the Empire State Greys (0-9) and completed the sweep Sunday night with a final score of 19-6. Wagner Lagrange hit a fielder's choice to plate the game's first run. Then Andrew Czech hit a double resulting in Nick Ward and Scotty Dubrule scoring to make the score 3-0 Washington. Then, designated hitter Ramon Osuna's ground ball to second brought home Czech to make the score 4-0 Wild Things. Nick Ward kept the good things going as he hit his fifth home run of the season to make the score 5-0 Wild Things in the second. Greys' right fielder Zach Sullivan hit a home run at the top of the third inning to bring John Benevolent home to make the score 5-2 then two more scored on a single by Willie Estrada, on which an error was made in the outfield to allow a second run to score. Catcher Alex Alvarez picked up an RBI with a hit into left field sending Ramon Osuna home before Nick Ward walked with the bases full to make it 7-4 Wild Things. The onslaught continued when Wagner Lagrange hit his first home run as a Wild Thing to start the fourth-inning scoring. Cole Brannen was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded later in the inning to make it 9-4. Empire State plated two in the fifth to make it 9-6, but that small deficit didn't last long. In the sixth, Greys' pitcher Alex MacKinnon walked two batters and then catcher Alex Alvarez hit the first three-run homer of the inning for the home squad. Dubrule singled to bring home Brannen and make it 13-6. The next run in what turned out to be a nine-run inning came in on a Czech sacrifice fly that brought home Ward. Roa picked up an RBI bringing home Dubrule and making it 15-6 Washington. Ian Walters hit a three-run homer to add to the lead and made it 18-6. The final run came in on a bases-loaded Andrew Czech.
Ottawa vs Florence
The Florence Y'alls (3-5) defeated the Ottawa Titans(5-4) Sunday afternoon by a score of 8-7. Leadoff hitter and first baseman Craig Massey went a perfect 5-for-5 today, with a double, four singles, and four RBI. Pending out-of-town scores, the 33-year-old veteran leads the Frontier League with 18 hits on the season. Alberti Chavez, batting behind Massey, delivered three hits for the Y'alls. Florence answered an early 4-0 deficit with four runs over their first two innings. Massey's bases-clearing double in the second brought three Y'alls home and tied the game at 4-4. The Y'alls answered a three-run Titans' top of the sixth with four runs in the bottom. A.J. Bumpass, Casey Combs, Ray Zuberer, and Massey all reached base with nobody out. The quartet of Y'alls went on to score in the inning. With the bats having given Florence their first lead, the pitchers took care of business in the win. Relievers Justin King, Bobby Brabrand, and Joe Dougherty did not allow a single baserunner in the final three innings of the game. Yasel Santana, who went two innings in relief, gets the win for the Y'alls. Joe Dougherty, who saved 15 games a season ago, earns his first of the season. Ottawa's Kyle Serrano takes the loss.
Quebec vs Evansville
The Quebec Capitales (6-3) defeated the Evansville Otters (5-4) Sunday afternoon by a score of 2-1. The starters Austin Gossmann and Franklin Parra took a scoreless bout into the fifth inning when the Otters finally struck. Third baseman Andy Armstrong brought in right fielder Elijah MacNamee with an RBI single, the only run of the first six frames. In the top half of the sixth, Quebec found their first offensive tally as centerfielder Jonathan Lacroix scored on a triple from left fielder Pedro Gonzalez. After a couple of pitching changes, the Capitales found offense once again in the top half of the ninth, as small ball prevailed. Third baseman T.J. White was hit by a pitch, giving him first with no outs. A sacrifice bunt and fly ball later, White stood on third with two outs. One strike away from ending the inning, catcher Dakota Phillips had a ball sneak through his legs, scoring White from third. The one run was enough for Quebec to win the game and the series, 2-1.
Windy City vs Tri-City
The Tri-City Valley Cats (6-2) and Windy City ThunderBolts (3-6) game unfortunately got rained out and was called after the ValleyCats were leading 1-0 after the first inning. The ThunderBolts' shortstop Jake Boone led the game off with a first pitch single off 'Cats starter Joey Gonzalez, who did not allow a run in two innings pitched. Tri-City would duplicate the start of the ThunderBolt's half of the first, as Brantley Bell led off with a first pitch single off of Windy City's starter, Miguel Ausua. The starting first baseman for the 'Cats would steal second. Juan Santana would advance Bell to third on a fielder's choice, putting runners at the corners with two away for Denis Phipps. The left fielder would muscle a single off a change up from Ausua, plating the only run of the game. The top of the second would begin with a single from Manny Garcia, but would be retired quickly on a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play, as Peyton Isaacson went down on strikes. Payton Robertson would follow Issacson to the bench, striking out swinging to end the inning. The game was called after the ValleyCats were set to take their turn at the plate in the second inning.
Sussex County vs Lake Erie
The Sussex County Miners (7-3) split a doubleheader with the Lake Erie Crushers (4-5) Sunday afternoon with the Miners winning the first game by a score of 4-3 and the Crushers winning the second game by a score of 2-1. In game one, the Miners scored first in the top of the second inning on Nick Garland's two out RBI single to left. Lake Erie answered with a trio of runs in the bottom of the second. They recorded four consecutive singles in the inning from Jared Mang, Jarrod Watkins, Ermindo Escobar and Kokko Figueiredo. Escobar's single scored Mang, Connor Owings walked with the bases loaded to plate the next run and Kenen Irizarry's RBI groundout scored Escobar. The Miners clawed back with a run in the third on Mike Reynolds's RB single to left to make it 3-2. They took the lead for good in the top of the fourth inning when Carson McCurdy delivered a pinch hit two run double down the line in right to bring in the final two runs of the game. Vin Mazzaro (1-0) retired the last 11 batters he faced and picked up the win after allowing three runs on four hits over six innings, while John Baker (2) picked up the save. Brock Begue (0-1) took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits over three and a third. In game two, there were plenty of base runners in the second game on both sides, but not many runs scored. After four scoreless innings, the Miners plated their only run of the game in the top of the fifth when Ariel Sandoval brought Errol Robinson home on a sacrifice fly. The Crushers were down to their final strike in the bottom of the seventh when they provided a few fireworks. Figueiredo started the inning with a single and made his way to second on Nick Cicci's sacrifice bunt. With Figueiredo on second and two out, Jackson Valera blasted a 3-2 pitch off the wall in center field for a RBI double to tie the game at 1-1. Jack Harris followed by smashing Baker's (0-1) 1-2 pitch to left field. Valera came around to score from second on a close play at the plate to win the game.
Joliet vs New York
The Joliet Slammers (4-6) defeated the New York Boulders (4-6) Sunday night by a score of 10-7. Tied at 5-5, the Slammers loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a hit batter. Tyler Depreta-Johnson singled to snap the deadlock. After Kyle Jacobsen struck out for the inning's second out, Brylie Ware was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to increase the Joliet advantage to 7-5.Matt McGarry followed with a three-run double to put the Slammers up 10-5. Joliet jumped in front in the top of the first inning with three unearned runs, the Slammers getting RBI singles from Carson Maxwell and Lane Baremore in the frame. A sacrifice fly from Tucker Nathans in the bottom of the first cut the Boulders' deficit to 3-1; then, in the third, New York tied matters at 3-3 thanks to an RBI single from Nathans and a run-scoring groundout by Gabriel Garcia. The Boulders grabbed a 4-3 lead in the fourth when Max Smith hit his second home run of the season, a solo shot to right-center. Smith added two doubles for a three-hit night. However, Joliet rebounded with a pair of runs in the sixth on a two-run double by Baremore, his second and third RBI of the night. The Boulders answered with a single run in the seventh, tying the contest at 5-5 when Gerson Molina scurried home on a wild pitch by Tanner Kiest, the third Joliet pitcher. Chris Kwitzer added a solo home run in the eighth for New York, his first of the season, and Gian Martellini tacked on a sacrifice fly in the ninth. Cole Stanton, the Slammers' fourth pitcher of the evening, recorded one out in the seventh inning and earned the win in his first decision of the year. Trevor Charpie pitched the ninth for Joliet and recorded his second save of the season. Luke Burton took the loss for New York, falling to 0-1. Algenis Martinez started for the Boulders and went five innings, allowing five hits and three runs - none earned, while walking one and striking out two. Gage Feeney went five innings in his start for Joliet, surrendering four hits and four runs, while walking one and striking out two.
Trois-Rivières vs Schaumburg
The Trois-Rivières Aigles (3-6) defeated Schaumburg Boomers (5-4) Sunday night with a final score of 10-7. The Boomers used the longball to open a 4-0 lead. Thomas DeBonville pounded a two-run homer in the fourth while Braxton Davidson and Matt Bottcher hit solo homers in the fifth. Davidson owns five homers in the first nine games of the year while Bottcher has connected on three. Kyle Arjona was rolling on the hill into the sixth, but Trois-Rivieres scored three with two outs to pull within a run. The two-out success continued in the seventh when four runs scored, the last three of which came with two outs to account for the difference in the game. Arjona struck out nine in 5.2 innings, taking a no-decision. Kristian Scott (0-1) suffered the loss. Thomas Nicoll threw 1.2 innings and Darrell Thompson twirled the ninth, striking out a pair. The appearance marked the 97th for Thompson with the Boomers, moving into third place all-time. Bottcher notched two more hits as the Boomers finished with nine in the game. Eight different individuals tallied a hit. Despite the defeat, the Boomers (5-4) won two-of-three in the series.
All teams are off tomorrow as the teams look to start new series on Tuesday, May 24.
Starting Tuesday, Sussex County will face Windy City, Empire State will face Schaumburg, New York will face Lake Erie, Evansville will face Ottawa, Tri-City will face Washington, Gateway will face Quebec, Joliet will face New Jersey, and Florence will face Trois Rivières.