OTTERS CLAMP THUNDERBOLTS TO TAKE SERIES - FRONTIER DAILY ROUNDUP
WRITTEN BY: MIKE GUISTOLISE\
EVANSVILLE TAKES SERIES IN WINDY CITY WITH SHUTOUT
EVANSVILLE, IN - The Evansville Otters kept the Windy City ThunderBolts off the scoreboard in a 3-0 victory at Bosse Field on Wednesday night.
The Otters (39-48) have played well of late and have extended their winning streak to four. Windy City (34-53) gifted Evansville its first two runs of the game with two wild pitches in the sixth inning. LF Randy Bednar then extended the Otters' lead to three with an RBI single later in the inning. The ThunderBolts had difficulty coming up with any significant threat on offense, as they were limited to just four hits. RHP Chip Korbacher only surrendered one base hit in his six-inning start and carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning en route to a win. RHP Michael McAvene earned the save, his eighth of the season, while RHP John Mikolaicyzk took the loss.
The Otters will go for the sweep in the series finale on Thursday. First pitch will be at 6:35 PM CDT.
CRUSHERS BLANK BOOMERS TO EVEN SERIES
AVON, OH - The Lake Erie Crushers got their payback against the Schaumburg Boomers with a 5-0 shutout victory at Crusher Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The Crushers (47-38) were turned away by the Boomers (44-42) in the series opener in the ninth inning with the bases loaded but exacted their revenge on Wednesday to even the series. DH Vincent Byrd Jr. opened the scoring with a solo homer in the second inning to put Lake Erie on top. The Crushers then doubled their lead in the fourth with a bases-loaded walk. In the eighth, SS Jarrod Watkins put the game away with a three-run shot down the right field line that made it 5-0. Schaumburg was limited to four hits in the game, only one of which went for extra bases. LHP Jack Eisenbarger earned the win behind seven shutout innings. RHP Dallas Woolfork took the loss for the Boomers.
The Crushers and Boomers will settle their series with a rubber game on Thursday. First pitch is at 6:35 PM EDT.
GRIZZLIES BURY Y'ALLS IN MIDDLE GAME
SAUGET, IL - The Gateway Grizzlies grabbed the series win with a 6-1 victory over the Florence Y'alls on Wednesday night at Grizzlies Ballpark.
The Grizzlies (53-32) will clinch a playoff spot with a win or a Schaumburg loss on Thursday. 1B Peter Zimmermann got Gateway on the board with an RBI single in the first inning. 3B DJ Stewart then doubled the Grizzlies' lead with a sacrifice fly. The Gateway lead was then doubled again later in the inning by CF Edwin Mateo when he launched a two-run homer. The Y'alls (41-44) finally broke through with an RBI groundout in the fourth but then left two men stranded at the end of the inning. DH Cole Brannen homered in the bottom of the fourth to put Gateway up 5-1; Zimmermann later crushed a homer in the seventh to extend the lead to 6-1, his fourth homer of the series. RHP Lukas Veinbergs earned the win for the Grizzlies while RHP Ty Good took the loss after only getting through 2.2 innings.
The Grizzlies will attempt to secure their playoff spot with a sweep of the Y'alls on Thursday. First pitch will be at 6:30 CDT
VALLEYCATS RIDE EARLY LEAD TO BIG WIN
TROY, NY - The Tri-City ValleyCats slipped past the New Jersey Jackals 2-1 on Wednesday night to claim the series at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.
The ValleyCats (47-37) are now tied with Ottawa for second place in the Frontier League East Divison after the win. SS Elvis Peralta Jr. and DH Oscar Campos each picked up RBIs in the first inning to put Tri-City ahead 2-0. The Jackals (29-56) cut their deficit in half in the fourth with an RBI base hit but left the inning with the bases loaded. New Jersey only had one runner get into scoring position after that, but he was also left stranded. RHP Connor Wilford finished the final 5.1 innings of the game out of the bullpen, earning the win after not allowing a run. RHP Reinaldo De Paula walked away with the loss for New Jersey.
The series between the ValleyCats and the Jackals will conclude on Thursday. First pitch for the finale will be at 6:30 PM EDT.
KNOCKOUTS WALK OFF BOULDERS
BROCKTON, MA - The New England Knockouts walked off the New York Boulders 8-7 to even the series at Campanelli Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Knockouts (32--51) have an opportunity to play spoiler with a series win that could keep the Boulders (45-41) out of the playoff picture in the East. New York built a 2-0 lead through the first two innings with a sacrifice fly and an RBI base hit. 3B Luis Atiles then got the Knockouts on the board in the third with a sacrifice fly. 1B Jack-Thomas Wold followed with an RBI double to tie the game at 2-2. Later in the inning, DH Jalen Garcia drove in two more runs with a base hit into left field. RF Noah Lucier then came through in the next at-bat, singling home another run to make it 5-2 New England. The Boulders caught up in the fourth inning to tie the game at 5-5 and then took a 7-5 lead in the seventh with a two-run single. C John Cristino led the eighth inning off with a solo homer to bring New England to within one; Garcia got another RBI single later in the inning to tie the game at seven apiece. In the ninth, Wold came back up to the plate with one out and men on first and second. He roped a line drive off of the first baseman's glove that dropped into the grass in shallow right field. The play gave the lead runner enough time to round third and make for the plate; the throw from the outfield was not in time, giving the Knockouts the walk-off win. RHP Reeves Martin got the win in relief for New England while RHP Dylan Smith took the loss for New York.
The series will conclude with a rubber match on Thursday at 6:30 PM EDT.
WILD THINGS BLAST FIVE HOMERS IN VICTORY OVER SLAMMERS
WASHINGTON, PA - The Washington Wild Things crushed the Joliet Slammers 8-2 on Wednesday night to win the series at Wild Things Park.
The win dropped Washington's (59-26) magic number for winning the Frontier League West Division to five. CF Caleb McNeely got things started with a "bang" when he blasted the first pitch of the Washington first over the left field fence. The Slammers (35-51) grabbed the lead with two runs in the second inning, but the Wild Things quickly caught up and tied the game with an RBI base hit in the bottom half. DH Tyreque Reed blasted a solo homer in the third to put Washington back on top 3-2. LF Wagner Lagrange came up right behind him with a solo homer to push the lead back out to two. Reed blasted another home run in the fifth to make it 5-2. Later in the inning, RF Brandon McIlwain crushed a three-run homer to put the game out of reach. RHP Malik Barrington was solid on the mound, picked up the win after striking out nine in seven innings while only allowing two runs. RHP Brett Sanchez took the loss after surrendering five home runs.
The Wild Things will for the series sweep on Thursday. The series finale at Wild Thing Park is set to begin at 7:05 PM EDT.
AIGLES TAKE DOWN CAPITALES IN EXTRAS TO EVEN SERIES
QUÉBEC CITY - The Trois-Rivières Aigles scored twice in the 10th inning to defeat the Québec Capitales at Stade Canac and even the series on Wednesday night.
The Aigles (40-43) have taken at least one game in every series they have played against the Capitales (58-27) this season. SS James Smibert drove in the game's first run for Trois-Rivières in the top of the second with an RBI infield single. An error in the fourth doubled the Aigles' lead to 2-0. DH Willie Estrada knocked in two more in the fifth with a single down the line in left. The Capitales picked a pair of runs in the sixth and another in the seventh to cut their deficit down to one. In the ninth, Québec pushed across the tying run with two outs on a passed ball, forcing the game into extra innings. In the 10th, the Aigles retook the lead with a bases-loaded walk and then got an insurance run on a sacrifice fly from Smibert. RHP Hernando Mejia then secured the save by setting down the Capitales in order. RHP Yunior Thibo earned the win in relief for Trois-Rivières while RHP Nick Trabacchi took the loss.
The Aigles and Capitales will play a rubber game on Thursday to decide the series. First pitch is at 7:05 PM EDT.
