Dereck Rodriguez pitched well, but a late home run sinks the Lookouts. Trey Cabbage his a big home run as the Kernels advance. Mark Contreras, Gorge Munoz, and several others bring the E-Twins within a game of the league championship.
MONTGOMERY 3, CHATTANOOGA 2 IN CHATTANOOGA
Three singles, an error, and a sacrifice fly put the Biscuits ahead 2-0 in the first inning. Max Murphy had an RBI double in the second to cut the lead to 2-1. It stayed 2-1 until the seventh, when T. J. White homered to tie it up. It didn't stay tied long, though. Nathan Lukes homered leading off the eighth to give Montgomery a 3-2 advantage. The Lookouts put men on first and second with two out in the eighth and with one out in the ninth, but could not tie the score.
Dereck Rodriguez struck out seven in seven innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and no walks. Murphy was 2-for-4 with a double. The best-of-five series is tied 1-1. The winner of this series will be declared league co-champion, as the finals have been cancelled due to the threat of Hurricane Irma.
CEDAR RAPIDS 7, KANE COUNTY 3 IN KANE COUNTY
Adam Walton's two-run single in the second put the Cougars up 2-0, but the Kernels came back with six runs in the fourth to take control of the game. Trey Cabbage hit a three-run homer in the inning. Kane County got one back in the seventh, but Ben Rortvedt's RBI single got the run back for Cedar Rapids in the eighth. The Cougars put their first two men on base in the ninth but did not get any closer.
Clark Beeker pitched seven innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on nine hits and three walks and six strikeouts. Colton Davis pitched 1.2 scoreless innings of relief. Jimmy Kerrigan was 3-for-5. Travis Blankenhorn was 2-for-5. Cabbage was 1-for-2 with a walk and a home run, driving in three. The Kernels win the best-of-three series 2-0. Next, they will play the winner of the Peoria/Quad Cities series, which is tied 1-1. That series will also be best-of-three.
ELIZABETHTON 12, PULASKI 1 IN ELIZABETHTON
Mark Contreras hit a three-run homer in the second inning that put the Twins up 4-0. The Yankees got on the board in the fourth, but Elizabethton came back with two in the fourth, four in the fifth, and two in the sixth to put the game well out of reach. Gorge Munoz had an RBI double in the fourth and a two-run double in the fifth. T. J. Dixon hit a two-run homer in the seventh.
Nick Brown pitched six innings, giving up one run on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts. Ryley Widell pitched two shutout innings and Jose Martinez pitched a scoreless ninth. Dixon was 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, and a walk and scored three times. J. J. Robinson was 3-for-4 with a walk. Contreras was 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, and a walk, driving in three. Munoz was 2-for-4 with two doubles and a walk and drove in three. Carson Crites was 2-for-5. The Twins take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three championship series.
TODAY'S TILTS
6:00 Elizabethton at Pulaski
6:35 Chattanooga (Felix Jorge, 10-3, 3.54) at Montgomery (Genesis Cabrera, 5-4, 3.62)
PLAYOFF PICTURE
Chattanooga is tied 1-1 with Montgomery in their best-of-five series. The winner of this series will be declared league co-champion, as the finals have been cancelled due to the threat of Hurricane Irma.
Cedar Rapids won their first-round playoff series and advance to the league semi-finals. Their next series will begin Saturday against the winner of the Peoria/Quad Cities series.
Elizabethton leads Pulaski 1-0 in the best-of-three league championship series.