WEST WINS 31ST ALL-STAR GAME, MENDHAM EARNS MVP
WRITTEN BY: MIKE GUISTOLISE
QUÉBEC CITY - The West All-Stars emerged as the victors in the 31st Frontier League All-Star game, beating out the East 2-1 in a deadlock defensive contest.
Nearly 4,300 fans filed into Stade Canac to watch some of the top talent in the Frontier League on Wednesday night. Evansville Otters' first baseman David Mendham earned the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award after going 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
The pitching staffs on both the East and West teams were lights-out for the majority of the game, combining for 21 strikeouts, led by the West's 13. Lake Erie Crushers closer Trevor Kuncl and Zach Smith, another representative from the Otters, both struck out two in their respective appearances.
Mendham opened things up for the West in the fifth inning, doubling with one out to set up Schaumburg's Christian Fedko to drive in the go-ahead run on his two-bagger. Joliet's Drew Stengren made it 2-0 immediately following Fedko with an RBI single.
The East got on the board in the sixth after Raphael Gladu of the Trois-Rivières Aigles blasted a double down the left-field line. He later stole third base but was cut down at the plate by the Wild Things' Caleb McNeely attempting to score on a sacrifice fly.
Kuncl, who is tied for the league lead in saves, entered with two outs in the eighth and closed out the game for the West.
Regular season Frontier League games will resume on Friday, with all 16 teams returning to play beginning at 6:35 PM EDT.
View the Frontier League All-Star Game box score HERE.
