CLOSE GAMES AROUND THE LEAGUE AND A HISTORIC PRO BASEBALL WIN
By: Andrés Tejeda
Schaumburg vs New York
The Schaumburg Boomers (2-2) defeated the New York Boulders (2-3) Tuesday night with a final score of 3-2.
The Boomers were ahead for the entire game. Schaumburg only needed three hits to defeat their hosts in Pomona tonight. Matt Bottcher hit an RBI single in the top of the first. Braxton Davidson hit a two-run home run in the top of the third inning to make the score 3-0.
New York followed in the fourth inning with a two-run homerun by David Vinsky to make it 3-2. However, New York left their tying tun on base in the final innings.
Kyle Arjona threw five innings to earn his first win of the season, allowing one run while striking out five batters. Juan Pichardo, Kristian Scott, Darrell Thompson, and Jake Joyce kept the lead intact for Tomas Nicoll, who earned his first save in his first outing of the season.
Algenis Martinez threw four innings for the Boulders and took the loss. He allowed three runs on three hits and struck out one batter. Luke Dawson and Zach Schnider finished the last five innings.
Washington vs Scussex County
The Sussex County Miners (4-1) defeated the Washington Wild Things on Tuesday night with a final score of 5-4 in 10 innings.
Sussex County scored three times in the first inning to start things off after a 1-2-3 inning against the Wild Things. Martin Figueroa reached on ground ball to first base where an attempted out was made at home plate to prevent a run from scoring, but the ball was dropped after a collision at the plate.
The Wild Things' offense would come alive in the eighth inning where they managed to tie the game up at four runs a piece thanks to Andrew Czech's RBI single. However, that would not be enough as the Miners were able to get a man in scoring position in the tenth inning. Jawaun Harris would hit the game-winning sac fly RBI and help the Miners walk it off.
Michael Mediavilla started on the mound for the Miners but earned a no-decision. He pitched six and two thirds' innings allowing one earned run on seven hits and striking out six batters. Connor Dand and Robert Klinchock came in relief and pitching into the ninth inning. John Baker came into the game with two outs in the ninth and finished the game in the tenth inning to earn the win.
Hayden Pierce started for the Wild Things and went five innings allowing three runs on six hits and punched out two batters. Nick Beardsley, Brian Quillens, Christian James, and Lukas Young would pitch in relief. Young would take the loss in extra innings.
New Jersey vs Florence
The New Jersey Jackals (3-1) defeated the Florence Y'alls (1-4) in a nail-biting game the ended with a final score of 19-15 in 10 innings.
The Jackals scored a dozen runs in the second and third innings to take a 12-0 lead early. The Y'alls would fight back from the third to the seventh inning scoring 12 unanswered runs to tie the game thanks to a grand slam by Alberti Chavez to make it 12-12.
The Jackals Josh Rehwaldt would hit a two RBI single to take the lead 14-12 in the eighth inning. Florence, however, tied it again at 14 runs by way of a fielder's choice and a wild pitch.
The Jackals would rally one more time in the tenth inning and put up five more runs to make it 19-14. The Y'alls would only score one last run in the bottom of the inning by Bryan Leef's RBI single to make the game 19-15.
Adrian Salcedo started for the Jackals and pitched four innings allowing four earned runs on five hits and three strikeouts. Zach Gore, Thomas Spinelli, Austin Smith, and Angelo Baez would come in relief. Smith earned the win pitching two and two-thirds innings allowing two unearned runs, one hit and striking out five batters.
Case Grimm started for the Y'alls and struggled in his five innings of work. He allowed 12 earned runs on 13 hits and struck out only one batter. Kent Kylman, Karl Craigie, Sean Hughes, and Joe Dougherty came in relief. Dougherty would take his second loss of the season pitching one inning allowing five runs, three earned, on three hits.
Lake Erie vs Tri-City
The Tri-City ValleyCats (2-1) defeated the Lake Erie Crushers (2-1) 8-7 on Tuesday for the ValleyCats home opener. The Crushers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Jack Harris crushed a home run to deep right center field, his first of two round trippers in the game. The ValleyCats responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the third, including home runs from Brantley Bell and Willy Garcia. The Crushers had an offensive outburst in the top of the fifth inning with four runs on five hits, with RBI hits from Jackson Valeria, Jack Harris, and Jarrod Watkins.
Valeria extended the Crushers lead in the top of the sixth inning with a solo shot, but that was all the offense the Crushers could squeeze out for the remainder of the game. Brantley Bell led off the seventh inning with a single then stole second. He then advanced on a ground ball off the bat of Juan Santana and scored on a wild pitch to squash the Crushers lead, tying the game at seven.
Jesus Lujano led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a single. He would then advance to second on a wild pitch. Pavin Parks would advance Lujano to third on a sac fly to right field. Lujano scored the go-ahead run on a second wild pitch.
Brock Begue started the game for the Crushers and lasted four innings. He would allow five earned runs on nine hits and strike out three batters. Ean Walda and Merrick Crouse came in relief. Crouse took the loss in the game pitching two innings. He allowed three runs on three hits and struck out three batters.
Trois-Rivières vs Gateway
The Gateway Grizzlies (4-0) walked off the Trois-Rivières Aigles (1-3) with a final score of 8-7 on Tuesday. The Grizzlies are the only undefeated team in the Frontier League and are 4-0 for the first time since 2018.
The three-run rally came after the Grizzlies could not hold a one-run lead in the top of the ninth inning, as the visitors from Canada scored three times to take a 7-5 lead into the bottom half before Gateway came back to win the game.
After two-and-a-half scoreless innings to start the contest, the Grizzlies struck first with a two-run home run by Isaac Benard in the bottom of the third. Just one inning later, Trevor Achenbach connected for a three-run home run to make it 5-0.
But Trois-Rivières found their offense in the top of the fifth. The Aigles' Yareb Martinez drove in Trois-Rivières' first run on an RBI single, and two batters later, Ricardo Sanchez hit a three-run home run to make it a 5-4 game.
The score remained 5-4 until the top of the ninth inning. Trois-Rivières got runners at the corners with no outs on a leadoff double and bunt single against Reed Hayes. Elliott Curtis then tied the game at 5-5 with an RBI single. Then, pinch-hitter David Gauthier and Yareb Martinez each hit RBI singles to give Trois-Rivières a 7-5 lead.
But the Gateway offense did not quit. With one out in the bottom of the frame, Benard singled to bring the tying run to the plate. After Peter Zimmermann, who won this week's "Player of the Week Award," was hit by a pitch. Jay Prather doubled home pinch-runner Cam Touchette to make it a 7-6 game. Jose Rosario was then also hit by a pitch to load the bases for Freeman, who broke his bat on a bloop single which scored Zimmermann and Prather for the 8-7 victory. The veteran first baseman also led the Grizzlies in the contest with three hits, including a double, as the Grizzlies remained undefeated.
Ottawa vs Windy City
The Windy City ThunderBolts (3-2) defeated the Ottawa Titans (2-2) in a historic 3-3 win thanks to the new sudden death extra inning rule on Tuesday.
Jace Mercer gave the ThunderBolts all the offence in the second inning when he hit a three-run homer to put his team on top 3-0.
The Titans scored two runs in the fifth inning to cut the lead down to one. In the eighth inning, A.J. Wright hit an RBI single to tie the game at three runs a side.
It would stay tied after 10 innings thus putting the new rule into effect. The new rules state that if the game remains tied after ten innings, a sudden death inning will determine the winner. The ThunderBolts get to choose to play offense or defense because they are the home team. The 'Bolts chose to defend. Ottawa by default plays offense and gets an automatic runner on first. If Ottawa scores, they will win the game, if not the 'Bolts would be the winners.
Layne Schnitz-Paxton took the drama quickly out of the outcome, getting the first batter of the inning to ground into a double play. The final out came on a ground out to give the ThunderBolts the historic win.
Schnitz-Paxton would be credited with the win. There is no losing pitcher, and the final score would be 3-3.
