TWO POSTPONEMENTS AND A WALK-OFF WIN
Windy City vs Tri-City
The Tri-City ValleyCats (5-2) defeated the Windy City Thunderbolts(3-5) Friday night with a final score of 5-4 in extra innings. The 'Cats struck first with a two-run home run off the bat of first baseman Brad Zunica. The first baseman sent a fastball from ThunderBolts starter Garrett Christman sailing over the leftfield wall. The ThunderBolts scratched one across on a screaming double from Daryl Myers to cut the lead to 2-1 in the fourth. Windy City would tie the game on an eighth inning single off the shattered bat of Jace Mercer.Tri-City went quietly in the home halves of the eighth and ninth as they headed to their first set of extra innings in the 2022 campaign.Windy City would tack on two runs on an opposite field homer from Brynn Martinez in the top half of the tenth inning, negating a sacrifice bunt from ThunderBolts third baseman Jake Boone.The ValleyCats started the home half of the tenth with Willy Garcia as their runner on second base. Shortstop Pavin Parks singled, advancing Garcia to third base. A throwing error on a Daniel Angulo grounder plated Garcia to bring the 'Cats within one.Brantley Bell would single, loading the bases for Jesus Angulo. The ValleyCats right fielder would send a 2-0 fastball from Layne Schnitz-Paxton into the left field gap, plating Parks and Carson McCusker, who came in to run for Angulo.
Joliet vs New York
The Joliet Slammers versus the New York Boulders game Friday night was postponed due to inclement weather. The Slammers and Boulders will play a double-header on Saturday, May 21.
Ottowa vs Florence
The Florence Y'alls (2-4) defeated the Ottowa Titans (4-3) Friday night with a final score of
21- 9. Florence scored five runs in each of the first and the third innings, three runs apiece in the fifth and the sixth innings, two runs each in the second and the fourth innings, and a solo run in the seventh. The only inning in which the Y'alls did not score was the eighth inning. Craig Massey led off the bottom of the first with a home run and that set the tone for the fantastic offensive day. Brennan Price also launched a two-run home run and Casey Combs also left the yard for a three-run, too. AJ Bumpass provided the only run in the eighth with a long ball, and Brian Leef hit a three-run home run in his first at-bat after entering the game as a defensive replacement late in the game. Massey had a four-hit night and Price had three hits. Alberti Chavez had two hits including a two-run double to extend his hitting streak to six games. Antony Brocato had two hits and three RBI, Harrison DiNicola had a pair of hits, and Ray Zuberer had two knocks and two RBI. Facing the outfielder Leef in the ninth, Brendon Dadson hit a two-run home run to cap the scoring.
Gateway vs New Jersey
The Gateway Grizzlies versus the New Jersey Jackals game Friday night was postponed due to inclement weather. The Grizzlies and Jackals will play their regularly scheduled game on Saturday, May 21 and then a double-header on Sunday, May 22 to make up for the postponement.
Sussex County vs Lake Erie
The Sussex County Miners (6-2) defeated the Lake Erie Crushers (3-4) Friday night with a final score of 6- 3. Sussex County plated their first two runs in the top of the third to take the lead, and never looked back. Martin Figueroa walked with the bases loaded to score Nick Garland, and Ariel Sandoval's sacrifice fly scored Kevin Rolon. The Miners added two more in the top of the fifth as Sandoval struck again with a two run single to right field to plate Figueroa and Errol Robinson. Garland started the top of the sixth inning with a double and came around to score on a wild pitch to give the Miners a 5-1 lead. The Miners added one last run in the top of the ninth inning on Robinson's RBI double to right. Conner Dand picked up the victory for the Miners in his first start of the season. He allowed just a run on seven hits while striking out five batters over five innings. John Baker scored the save, tossing two scoreless innings in relief. Kaleb Schmidt took the loss after allowing four runs on one hit, but walked five batters over four and a third.
Empire State vs Washington
The Washington Wild Things (3-4) defeated the Empire State Greys (0-7) Friday night with a final score of 9-1. In the bottom of the first, Washington's Wagner Lagrange hit an RBI double to left field to send Scotty Dubrule home from first. With Lagrange on second, Ramon Osuna hit a two-run home run to make the score 3-0. In the second, Alex Alvarez hit a two-run home run with Ian Walters on base to extend the lead to five runs. Cole Brannen took home on a wild pitch to put Washington up 6-0. Brannen hit an RBI single in the fourth to send in Alvarez for the seventh run for Washington. Brannen made it home on an RBI from LG Castillo, making the score 8-0. Lagrange added to his night with his third hit, an RBI single that sent Nick Ward home for Washington's ninth run. In the top of the ninth, Empire State's Tyler Hill made it home on an errant throw, ending the chance for a shut-out. Empire State failed to score any more runs, ending the game 9-1. Sandro Cabrera started on the mound for Washington. He pitched seven innings, allowing two hits, no runs and two walks, while also striking out seven batters. He didn't allow any hits until the sixth inning.
Trois-Rivières vs Schaumburg
The Schaumburg Boomers (4-3) defeated the Trois-Rivières Aigles (2-5) Friday night with a final score of 10-6.Matt Bottcher opened the bottom of the second with a solo homer, his second of the year. The outburst continued with an RBI double from William Salas, a two-run single off the bat of Chase Dawson, an RBI double from Clint Hardy and a two-run homer from Braxton Davidson. Bottcher singled home another run in the fourth and Nick Oddo added an RBI single in the fifth as the Boomers led 9-2. Trois-Rivieres scored twice in the sixth but Davidson drew a bases loaded walk in the seventh. The visitors plated two more in the eighth to account for the final.Ryan Middendorf made the opening night start and worked six innings, allowing three earned runs while striking out five. Kristian Scott worked 1.1 innings, Aaron Glickstein .2 innings and Thomas Nicollone. The offense amassed 16 hits in the win, a season high. Nine individuals posted hits with six tallying more than one. Craig finished with three hits. Davidson drove home three runs.
Quebec vs Evansville
The Evansville Otters (5-2) defeated the Quebec Capitales (4-3) Friday night with a final score of 5-4. Evansville began their hard-hitting frenzy in the second, as designated hitter J.R. Davis took the first pitch of the inning over the left field wall. Third baseman Dakota Phillips played copycat and sent a second ball over the left field wall.Two batters later, first baseman Zach Biermann joined the party with a third solo home run of the inning, taking the lead to 3-0. Quebec answered in the third, as their offensive leader Jeffry Parra doubled in two runs. The 3-2 Otters' lead held to the sixth inning when Parra returned to the batter's box. This time, a solo home run to left field tied the game at 3-3.In the seventh, Evansville's power returned when right fielder Elijah MacNamee and Biermann hit back-to-back home runs to lift the lead back to two.The Capitales managed one more run in the eighth, as centerfielder Jonathan Lecroix singled in the run. Logan Sawyer came in to pitch the ninth and close the game for the Otters, earning his second save of the year with a 1-2-3 inning. Jake Polancic received the win in relief as Codie Paiva was handed his first loss of the season.
