All four teams were on the road, and all four teams won. There was good pitching in each game. Sweep!
ROCHESTER 6, NORFOLK 2 IN NORFOLK
Trailing 2-1, the Red Wings put together a four-run rally in the third to take control of the game. Matt Hague and Niko Goodrum each had a two-run single in the inning. The Tides never threatened after that.
David Hurlbut pitched very well after allowing two runs in the first. His line is six innings, two runs, six hits, no walks, and two strikeouts. Drew Rucinski pitched two shutout innings to lower his ERA to 2.66. Michael Tonkin pitched a perfect inning to make his ERA 2.08. Hague was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. Zack Granite was 2-for-4 with a triple, a double, and a walk, scoring three times. Tommy Field was 2-for-4.
CHATTANOOGA 3, BIRMINGHAM 2 IN BIRMINGHAM
The Lookouts led 2-0 after six. In the seventh, however, a Cameron Seitzer solo homer was followed by a single and three walks to tie the score 2-2. In the eighth, however, Edgar Corcino led off with a single, Travis Harrison drew a one-out walk, and Dan Gamache followed with an RBI double to put Chattanooga up 3-2. The Barons got the tying run to third with two out in the bottom of the eighth, but their last four batters were retired.
Felix Jorge pitched well again, striking out six in 6.2 innings while giving up two runs on four hits and a walk. Jake Reed made his 2017 debut and issued the three walks that tied the game. Raul Fernandez and John Curtiss each pitched a scoreless inning. Curtiss kept his ERA at zero in 18.2 innings. He has 26 strikeouts and 10 walks. Corcino went 2-for-4 to make his average .301. Nick Gordon was 1-for-5 and is batting .303.
FORT MYERS 2, BRADENTON 0 IN BRADENTON
All the runs came in the second inning on Daniel Kihle's two-run homer. The Marauders had only three hits, all singles, and only twice advanced a man as far as second base.
Dereck Rodriguez had what may have been his best game of the season, striking out six in six innings while giving up just three hits and a walk. His ERA is 2.66 and his WHIP is 1.07. Williams Ramirez struck out two in two shutout innings, lowering his ERA to 2.22. He has 31 strikeouts in 28.1 innings. Alex Muren pitched a perfect inning to make his ERA 2.03. Kihle's home run was his fourth. Trey Vavra was 0-for-4 and is now batting .088.
CEDAR RAPIDS 3, BURLINGTON 0 IN BURLINGTON
A sacrifice fly scored the first run of the game in the third inning. Aaron Whitefield singled in a run in a two-run fifth. That was more than enough, as Domenick Carlini and three relievers kept the Bees off the board. Burlington had chances. They had a man thrown out trying to score from second on a single in the first inning, left men on second and third in the sixth, loaded the bases in the seventh, and left men on first and third in the eighth.
Carlini had his best game of the season, going six shutout innings and giving up three hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Max Cordy pitched 1.2 scoreless innings. Hector Lujan pitched a scoreless inning to lower his ERA to 2.01 and make his WHIP 0.99. Jaylin Davis was 2-for-4. Whitefield was 1-for-2 with a walk and is batting .301.
TODAY'S TILTS
9:30 DSL Angels at DSL Twins
4:30 Fort Myers (David Fischer, 3-3, 3.35) at Palm Beach (Connor Jones, 3-3, 4.23)
6:05 Rochester (Aaron Slegers, 4-3, 3.81) at Norfolk (Chris Lee, 2-3, 6.86)
6:30 Cedar Rapids (Clark Beeker, 5-2, 2.50) at Burlington (Andrew Vinson, 3-5, 6.11)
6:30 Chattanooga at Birmingham