FLORENCE EXTENDS WINNING STREAK TO FOUR
Empire State vs Florence
The Florence Y'alls (26-35) allowed a first-inning home run against the Empire State Greys (3-59). After trailing for the first and only time in the series, the Y'alls responded immediately en route to a 9-2 win at Thomas More Stadium on Wednesday.
Brennan Price homered off of switch-pitcher Mizuki Akatsuka in the first and third innings. Price hit his first home run against a lefty-throwing Akatsuka, and the second against the same pitcher throwing right-handed. This accomplishment helped put the Y'alls over the top against the traveling Greys.
Along with the two home runs and four RBI, Price did not make an out tonight. Brennan reached base in all four plate appearances and scored a run each time. A surging Craig Massey drove in three runs on a pair of RBI knocks as well.
Jonaiker Villalobos did his job on the mound, tossing six innings of two-run ball to earn the win. Florence's most-used starter, Villalobos earns his fifth win in 67.2 innings pitched for the season. Karl Craigie, Sean Hughes, and Cameron Pferrer again dealt a scoreless three innings out of the Y'alls bullpen.
With the win, Florence's streak is now at four games, tied for a season high. The offense has put up a combined 54 runs and 66 hits over that span, unquestionably its best of the year. The Y'alls now aim for their first three-game series sweep of the season.
Lake Erie vs Quebec
Lake Erie (30-32) came into Wedndeays night's game with the opportunity to take a series from the top team in the Frontier League. For the Quebec Capitales (44-18), they faced the opportunity of losing a series right after the All-Star break.
It was a big first inning for the Crushers, five runs, which helped them propel over the Capitales and take the series with a 6-4 win.
Majority of Lake Erie's runs came in the first inning. Austin White drew a bases loaded walk, Kenen Irizarry recorded an RBI single to center field, Sean Cheely lined a ball far enough to left field to score Irizarry, Later, Austin White scored on a wild pitch, Bryan De La Rossa reached via an error by the first baseman which allowed Irizarry to score, extending the lead to five.
The Capitales responded in the second inning with a run. An RBI double by Yordan Manduley to left field for the first run.
Lake Erie added a run in the third inning. An RBI groundout that scored Irizarry.
Quebec made it an interesting game after the third inning. In the fourth, John McAdams scored on a wild pitch. Going into the eighth inning, Marc-Antoine Lebruex lined an RBI triple down left field. Right after that, Manduley for his second RBI record an RBI single, bringing the deficit to two runs.
Sam Curtis called out of the bullpen in the ninth. He closed the door on the Capitales recording two strikeouts and the save, giving the Crushers a series victory over Quebec.
Washington vs Ottawa
Trailing 5-2 entering the bottom of the ninth, the Ottawa Titans (38-25) scored four unanswered runs to defeat the Washington Wild Things 6-5 on Wednesday night.
Right-hander Jose Taveras (ND, 5-0) was dealing through the first two innings, retiring the first six in order, including two strikeouts. As two reached in the bottom half against Sandro Cabrera (ND, 6-2), Kai Moody's ground ball was booted by Nick Ward at short to open the scoring. The E6 went down as an RBI, the first for Moody in his professional career after signing earlier in the week out of Cal State Northridge University. Mitsuki Fukuda followed suit and battled a seven-pitch at-bat against Cabrera, eventually singling to right, making it 2-0.
Ian Walters marked the first of five unanswered for the Wild Things with a lead-off solo shot to right-centre in the third, cutting the deficit in half at 2-1.
The Wild Things would take the lead with a big inning in the fourth, scoring a pair of runs on three hits. Tristan Peterson's double knotted the game up at two apiece before Hector Roa's second RBI of the series gave the visitors the lead at 3-2.
After the Titans' lead vanished courtesy of the Wild Things bats coming alive, Cabrera finished his outing holding the home side at bay. the southpaw went seven innings, allowing two unearned runs on six hits, walking three, and striking out three. Leaving in line for the win, Cabrera retired 10 of the final 15 batters he faced.
Following a one-out double from Roa, Taveras was given the hook for lefty Grant Larson (win, 5-2) in the seventh. After a fielders choice had the Titans an out away, Devon Fisher bounced a Larson offering into shallow left for an RBI single.
Peterson's one-out single in the eighth off Larson extended the lead to 6-2, as Stephen Knapp then silenced the Titans' bats with a perfect frame.
Lukas Young (loss, 4-2) looked for his second save in as many days with a four-run lead entering the bottom of the ninth. Dane Tofteland got the rally started with a double to centre and was followed by a Jake Sanford walk. Moody's RBI single up the middle scored Tofteland, making it a two-run game.
Following a strikeout of the pinch-hitter Tyrus Greene, a balk put the two in scoring position for Jackie Urbaez, who tied the game with a base hit to right. On the single, Roa's throwing attempt home airmailed the catcher, ending up back to the screen for Urbaez to chug around to third. Clay Fisher's second hit of the game secured the comeback with a base hit to right for the walk-off heroics.
The victory marks the Titans' fourth walk-off win of the season and keeps the team 6.5 back of first and 2.5 games up of third place in the East Division.
Tri-City vs Joliet
Less than 12 hours after the completion of Tuesday's series opener and ValleyCats win, the Slammers and ValleyCats were back in action at Duly Health and Care Field. Game two of the three-game set commenced at 10:05 AM CDT (11:05 AM EST).
Joey Gonzalez took the hill for the 'Cats. Gonzalez spun eight dominant innings for Tri-City, surrendering one run on two hits. The first hit for the Slammers would come off of the bat of Lane Baremore, ValleyCats right fielder Carson McCusker would cut down Baremore at second attempting to stretch the single to a double. Gonzalez would allow just 4 baserunners on 2 hits (1 being a game-tying home run in the eighth), 1 fielder's choice, and 1 hit by pitch. Gonzalez would not walk a batter in Wednesday's contest and would strike out 9 slammers.
The 'Cats would strike first, tallying one run in the 4th inning on a Brantley Bell solo shot. Wednesday marked six-straight games where Bell would leave the yard. The 'Cats would be held scoreless until the tenth when Denis Phipps would steal third and score on an error.
Entering the bottom of the tenth with a 1-run lead, the ValleyCats would keep Jose Cruz in the game with the international tiebreaker on second base. Cruz would induce a ground ball to lead off the inning, but the runner would reach on an error by SS Pavin Parks. The international tiebreaker would score, evening the score at 2. The next batter, 3B Paxton Wallace would send the first pitch soaring over the left field wall for a two-run home run, securing a Slammers win.
New Jersey vs Schaumburg
Clint Hardy matched the franchise's career record for RBIs with a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth as the Schaumburg Boomers captured the middle game with the New Jersey Jackals by a 7-6 score.
Hardy's single came on a 1-1 pitch and scored Alec Craig, who had stolen second just moments before. The RBI was the 136th for Hardy in his career, equaling the tam mark set by Quincy Nieporte. The run was needed after New Jersey rallied from deficits of 4-1 and 6-3 to tie the game in the top of the ninth on a two-out opposite field double from Dalton Combs.
The Boomers have not trailed in the series, plating single runs in the first and second to open a 2-0 advantage. Blake Grant-Parks doubled home a run in the second. After New Jersey pulled within a run in the third Craig stole third and scored on an error in the bottom of the fifth and Chase Dawson registered an automatic double to knock home Mike Hart. George Bell, Jr. connected on a two-run homer in the seventh to bring New Jersey within 4-3 but Mike Hartblasted his eighth of the year in the bottom of the frame, also a two-run shot, to extend the lead to 6-3. Josh Rewaldtlogged his 22nd homer of the year in the eighth for New Jersey to again bring the visitors within a run.
Jake Joyce grabbed the win on the mound, the 20th of his career. Jumpei Akanuma threw a season high seven innings and allowed just three runs in a quality start while Tanner Shears worked the eighth. Hardy and Grant-Parks posted two hits apiece as the Boomers finished with nine. Craig scored three times and swiped a pair of bases while reaching three times. Braxton Davidson drew a pair of walks to extend his on-base streak to 18 while Hardy, activated from the injured list before the game, extended his streak to 15. The Boomers drew six walks after coaxing eight in the opener on Tuesday.
New York vs Evansville
Chris Kwitzer homered twice and knocked in five runs and Andy Hammond gave New York a solid start on the mound as the Boulders snapped a three-game losing streak with an 11-4 win over the host Evansville Otters on Wednesday at Bosse Field.
Kwitzer connected for a three-run home run in the third inning off of Evansville starter Brice Stuteville to give the Boulders a 6-0 lead; then added a two-run shot in the sixth against Otters' reliever Steve Pastora that increased the New York advantage to 10-2.
The home runs were Kwitzer's 12th and 13th of the season.
The Boulders raced out to a 3-0 first inning lead on a sacrifice fly by Austin Dennis, an RBI double from Francisco Del Valle and a run-scoring single by Gabriel Garcia.
Leading 6-1, New York scored a pair of runs in the fourth to go up 8-1 – the runs coming on another sacrifice fly by Dennis and an RBI single by Del Valle.
Dennis and Del Valle each finished the night with two RBI.
Meanwhile, Andy Hammond gave the Boulders a strong start, going five innings and allowing two runs on three hits. He walked one and struck out five as he improved to 4-2 on the year with the victory.
Evansville's runs came on a pair of wild pitches, an error and an RBI infield single by George Callil.
Stuteville was tagged with the loss for Evansville, his second defeat in as many decisions.
David Vinsky had four hits and drove in a ninth inning run with a double in the win for New York, while Del Valle, Kwitzer, Jake MacKenzie and Garcia each had two hits as the Boulders pounded out 15 hits.
Sussex County vs Gateway
The Gateway Grizzlies committed a costly error in the top of the seventh inning, allowing a tiebreaking run to score, while their offense could not muster a comeback in a 2-1 loss to the Sussex County Miners on Wednesday night at GCS Credit Union Ballpark, the team's seventh consecutive defeat.
The Miners would strike first in the top of the third inning- after a leadoff walk to Nick Garland and a hit-and-run executed by Martin Figueroa, runners were at the corners with one out when Justin Washington squeezed the game's first run home on an RBI sacrifice bunt to give Sussex County the early 1-0 lead. The score remained that way until the bottom of the fifth inning when Clint Freeman launched a solo home run to right field to tie the ball game at 1-1.
In the top of the seventh inning with one out against Colton Easterwood (2-2), with men at first and second base, Kevin Rolon grounded into a fielder's choice which could have been an inning-ending double play, but an error by Trevor Achenbach on a high relay throw to first allowed Alex Toral to score from second base as Sussex County took a 2-1 lead.
The Grizzlies then had chances with the tying run in scoring position in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, but could not equalize the score as they lost for the second time by a single run in their losing skid.
Windy-City vs Trois-Rivières
The Trois-Riviéres Aigles plated runs in each of the first two innings and the ThunderBolts were unable to get their offense rolling in a 5-1 loss in game two of a three-game set at Stade Quillorama Wednesday night.
In the bottom of the first inning, Canice Ejoh reached on an error. He moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Juan Kelly RBI single. That put the Aigles (33-29) in the lead, which they did not give up the rest of the night.
Elliott Curtis hit the first of three solo home runs of the night for Trois-Riviéres in the second to double their lead.
The ThunderBolts (24-37) made their move in the fourth. Daryl Myers reached on an error and a Joshuan Sandoval single put runners at the corners in front of Dan Robinson, who brought home the only Windy City run on a sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the inning, Juan Santana hit a solo homer to increase the lead back to two. Late in the game, Trois-Riviéres added insurance as Carlos Martinez hit an RBI single and Connor Panas homered for the second straight night.
The ThunderBolts scarcely threatened after the fourth as they were held to just four hits for the second time of the road trip. In between their two four-hit performances, the Bolts had scored 27 runs over the last two games.
Kevin Perez (3-0) struck out ten and didn't give up an earned run as he secured the win. Kenny Mathews (4-3) allowed three earned runs in six innings and took the loss.
