Buffalo 3 Syracuse 1
Pitching was the key to this win. Todd Redmond started and went six innings. He did give up a solo home run for the Chiefs only run but he scattered three other hits. Ryan Tepera came on with two on and nobody out in the seventh and took it the rest of the way. He faced eight batters and got nine outs while throwing just 30 pitches.
In the third Munenori Kawasaki singled, stole second and scored when Andy Burns singled. Then in the fourth Chris Heisey walked and Jon Berti singled. Josh Thole then doubled to centre and the speedy Berti had no problem scoring from first. Berti had two hits and is hitting .263. Andy Burns' hit raised his batting average to .298. That average is fifth best in the IL so that counts for something.
Erie 3 New Hampshire 8
A big five run sixth inning made the score 8-1 and put this game out of reach. The inning started with a two run home run by KC Hobson. Jorge Flores singed in two runs and finally Kevin Nolan delivered the fifth run with a sac fly. The scoring started in the second inning when Ryan Schimpf homered. In the third Flores, Roemen Fields and Dwight Smith had consecutive singles to score one run. Fields then scored on a ground out. Five Fisher Cats had two hits, Flores, Schimpf, Hobson, Emilio Guerrero and Derrick Chung.
While the hitters were piling on the runs, Austin Bibens-Dirkx was shutting them down. ABD went seven innings and held the Sea Wolves to one run and six hits. Erie got to John Anderson for a two run home run in the eighth.
Dunedin 10 Clearwater 2
Like the New Hampshire game a big inning, in this case seven in the third, and good starting pitching led to victory. The starter in this case was Shane Dawson who pitched six innings with one run allowed. Griffin Murphy pitched two perfect innings and Brady Dragmire the ninth.
That big seven run inning started with consecutive singles by Boomer Collins, Mike Reeves and Anthony Alford. LB Dantzler drove in two with a single, two runs scored on wild pitches, Mitch Nay doubled in a run and Dickie Thon hit a two run home run. Alford doubled in the three run sixth. Alford had another double and finished 3-5. Nay was 2-4.
Lansing 10 Kane County 11
There was a lot of scoring in the first four innings, it was 11-7 after four. There was no other scoring until Lansing scored three in the top of the ninth and had two on with one out. But Michael De La Cruz hit into a double play to end the comeback. Clinton Hollon had been pitching well for Lansing but ran into big trouble in the second inning and was pulled with two outs having hit his pitch limit. Dusty Isaacs has been one of the best Lugnut bullpen arms recently but he wasn't fooling anyone either. Hollon gave up six runs and Isaacs five.
Ryan McBroom hit a three run home run and was 3-5 with 4 RBI's for the game. Richard Urena left the game in the middle of the top of the third inning for an undisclosed reason. He was replaced by Alex Maldonado who had two hits in two at-bats. Chris Carlson also had two hits.
Vancouver 7 Hillsboro 6
The C's led 4-1 in the fifth before a five run bottom of the fifth put the Hops up 6-4. Then Carl Wise tied the game in the sixth with a two run home run. Ryan Cook made his first start of the year and cruised through three. He gave up a run in the fourth and walked the second hitter in the fifth and his night was done. Bobby Wheatley came and threw gas on the fire, he let Cook's walk score and added four of his own.
Ryan Hissey hit a two run home run in the first for a fast start. JC Cardenas added another two run shot in the fifth. In the ninth inning the Canadian connection came through. Connor Panas singled and went to second on an errant throw. Justin Atkinson doubled him home. Atkinson went to third on a passed ball. Despite having a runner on third with no outs the C's couldn't get an insurance run. In the end it didn't matter, Brandon Hinkle had a 1-2-3 ninth. Wise and Andrew Guillotte each had two hits.
Bristol 9 Bluefield 2
Juliandry Higuera stated well, six up, six down. Then it started downhill. A single and a walk in a scoreless third. Bases loaded but no runs in the fourth. Then two walks followed by three hits in the fifth generated three runs and an exit for Juliandry. Zach Rodgers got out of the fifth but gave up four in the fifth. Grayson Huffman continued his terrible 2015 by allowing six hits and two runs in just two innings.
The Jays had just four hits. Juan Tejada and Freddy Rodriguez each hit a home run.
3 Stars
3rd star: Carl Wise
2nd star: Ryan Tepera
1st star: Anthony Alford