Fort Myers takes a 2-0 lead in the championship series! Cedar Rapids advances to the division finals! Two more big games tonight!
FORT MYERS 5, DAYTONA 0 IN FORT MYERS
Batting stars: Travis Harrison was 1-for-2 with two walks and a hit-by-pitch, scoring once and driving in two. Dalton Hicks was 1-for-5 with a triple, scoring once and driving in one. Tyler Grimes was 2-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch and a run.
Pitching stars: Ethan Mildren pitched five innings, giving up five hits and four walks with three strikeouts. Todd Van Steensel pitched one inning, giving up a walk. Nick Burdi struck out three in 2.1 innings, giving up two hits.
Opposition stars: Wes Darvill was 2-for-4 with a double. Gioskar Amaya was 2-for-5 with a double. Jose Rosario struck out three in 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit.
The game: Each team got a runner into scoring position in each of the first two innings, and Daytona did it again in the top of the third, but there was no scoring until the bottom of the third, when Aderlin Mejia singled, stole second, and scored on a Harrison single. Hicks then tripled in a run and scored on a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0. Each team threatened in the fifth and the Cubs got a man into scoring position in the seventh and eighth, but there was no more scoring until the bottom of the eighth, when Fort Myers loaded the bases on an error, a hit batsman, and a single and scored on a pair of bases-loaded walks to go ahead 5-0. Daytona went down in order in the ninth. The Cubs had eight hits and drew six walks, but stranded twelve runners.
Of note: Aderlin Mejia was 2-for-5 with a run. Stuart Turner was 0-for-2 with a walk and an RBI. Max Kepler was 0-for-4. Adam Brett Walker II was 0-for-4 with a run.
Playoff update: Fort Myers takes a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series. The remainder of the series will be played in Daytona. There is no travel day, so game three will be played tonight.
CEDAR RAPIDS 4, BURLINGTON 2 IN BURLINGTON
Batting stars: Logan Wade was 2-for-4 with two doubles, scoring once and driving in one. Chad Christensen was 2-for-4 with a home run, driving in two. Ryan Walker was 1-for-3 with a triple and a walk, scoring once.
Pitching stars: Stephen Gonsalves struck out six in five innings, giving up two runs on six hits and a walk. Jared Wilson struck out two in two perfect innings. Dallas Gallant struck out two in a perfect inning.
Opposition stars: Harrison Cooney struck out nine in six innings, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk. Kody Eaves was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The game: Cedar Rapids got on the board first, scoring two in the third on a triple by Walker, and RBI ground out, and a Christensen home run. Burlington got the runs right back in the bottom of the third on RBI singles by Bo Way and Eaves. There was no more scoring until the eighth, With one out, Jonatan Hinojosa singled, Wade doubled, Christensen singled in the go-ahead run, and Max Murphy doubled in an insurance run. The Bees got their leadoff man on in the ninth with an error, but did not advance him past first base. Burlington did not get a hit after the fifth inning.
Of note: Hinojosa was 1-for-4 with a run. Murphy was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Alex Swim was 0-for-4.
Playoff update: Cedar Rapids wins the best-of-three series two games to one. In other action, Fort Wayne defeated West Michigan 6-2 to take that series two games to one. The division championship round starts tonight, as Cedar Rapids hosts Kane County and Lake County is at Fort Wayne. Each series is best-of-three.
TODAY'S TILTS
6:05 Fort Myers at Daytona
6:35 Kane County at Cedar Rapids