Seven was the lucky number.
NORFOLK 7, ROCHESTER 3 IN NORFOLK
The Tides scored six in the fifth to break a 1-1 tie. Drew Dosch and Caleb Joseph each hit a three-run homer.
Jake Cave was 2-for-3 with a walk. Nick Gordon was 1-for-4 with a double and is batting .327.
Gabriel Moya made his first start since 2014, striking out four in 2.2 innings and giving up one run on two hits and a walk. His ERA is 1.93. Jake Reed pitched 1.1 scoreless innings despite giving up two hits and three walks. He struck out one. Alan Busenitz pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out two. His ERA is 0.47. John Curtiss pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and a walk. His ERA is 1.33.
CHATTANOOGA 7, BIRMINGHAM 5 IN BIRMINGHAM
The Lookouts opened the game with four extra-base hits, three doubles and a triple, to take a 3-0 lead. It was 3-2 when they added four more in the third, getting a two-run homer from Chris Paul in the inning. The Barons scored three in the eighth but did not get the tying run on base.
Brent Rooker was 2-for-5 with a triple and a double. LaMonte Wade was 2-for-5 with a double. Zander Wiel was 2-for-5 with a double and is batting .316. Paul was 1-for-4. The home run was his third and he had three RBIs.
Cody Stashak, in his second start, struck out five in three innings but allowed two runs on three hits and a walk. His ERA is 2.70. Paco Rodriguez pitched two shutout innings, giving up one hit. Todd Van Steensel struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up a walk. His ERA is 1.71.
FORT MYERS 5, ST. LUCIE 1 IN ST. LUCIE (GAME 1--8 INNINGS--SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS)
It was 1-1 through seven, triggering the Manfred Rule. A wild pitch scored one run, RBI singles by Taylor Grzelakowski and Lewin Diaz brought home two more, and that fourth run scored on a ground out. The Mets went down in order in the bottom of the eighth.
Luis Arraez was 2-for-4 with a double. Mark Contreras was 1-for-4 with a home run, his third.
Charlie Barnes struck out six in six innings, giving up one run on six hits and a walk. Ryan Mason struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk. His ERA is 2.28.
FORT MYERS 3, ST. LUCIE 1 IN ST. LUCIE (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)
It was 1-1 through six, but consecutive doubles by Jimmy Kerrigan, Lewin Diaz, and Caleb Hamilton plated two runs. The Mets got a pair of two-out hits in the bottom of the seventh but did not score.
Diaz was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.
Andro Cutura pitched a complete game. He did not give up a hit until two were out in the fifth and that was the only one he gave up until two were out in the seventh. He ended up giving up one run on three hits and two walks and striking out four.
CEDAR RAPIDS 7, BURLINGTON 5 IN BURLINGTON
The Kernels scored three in the first and led all the way. They scored three in the seventh to take a 7-2 lead and appeared to have control of the game, but a single, an error, and four walks gave the Bees three in the bottom of the seventh. A fly out finally ended the inning and Burlington did not get the tying run on base again.
Akil Baddoo was 4-for-5 with two triples and a double. Trey Cabbage was 2-for-4 with a home run, his fourth, and two RBIs. Alex Kirilloff was 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs. He is batting .330. Ben Rortvedt was 2-for-5 with a double. Jordan Gore was 0-for-4 and is batting .303.
Bryan Sammons struck out eight in six innings, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk. Jovani Moran struck out five in 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and three walks. His ERA is 2.93.
DSL CARDINALS BLUE 15, DSL TWINS 5 AT TWINS
In our DSL preview, we said, "The players are fine athletes, but they're mostly young. There tend to be lots of walks and errors." It didn't take long to prove that. This game featured twenty-one walks and five errors.
The Cardinals scored six runs in the first on three hits (all singles), five walks, a hit batsman, an error, and a passed ball. The followed that with eight runs in the second on three walks, a grand slam, two singles, a three-run homer, an error, and a triple. It was 14-0 after two and for the Twins, as the old song says, "We've gotta get better 'cause we can't get worse." The Twins scored single runs in the fifth and eighth and three in the ninth to make the final score look slightly better.
Brahiap Carrillo was 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs.
Cristian Castro started and pitched one inning, giving up six runs (two earned) on three hits and five walks and striking out one. Yolby Guzman pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and two walks and striking out two. Anthony Escobar struck out three in three shutout innings, giving up two hits and two walks.
TODAY'S TILTS
11:00 Fort Myers at St. Lucie
12:05 Rochester (Stephen Gonsalves, 4-1, 4.00) at Norfolk (Tim Melville, 5-2, 4.17)
2:00 Cedar Rapids (Edwar Colina, 2-1, 2.87) at Burlington (Simon Mathews, 0-2, 3.58)
4:15 Mobile (Jesus Castillo, 4-3, 4.33) at Chattanooga (Lewis Thorpe, 1-3, 4.21)