Adam Brett Walker II and Matt Tomshaw lead Fort Myers to a first-game victory. Logan Wade and Mat Batts lead Cedar Rapids to even their first-round series. A couple of big games tonight.
FORT MYERS 5, DAYTONA 1 IN FORT MYERS
Batting stars: Adam Brett Walker II was 3-for-4 with a home run and a double, driving in two. Travis Harrison was 2-for-4 with two doubles and a walk, driving in one. Stuart Turner was 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs.
Pitching stars: Matt Tomshaw pitched six innings, giving up one run on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts. D. J. Johnson struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up two hits. Brandon Peterson pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit.
Opposition stars: Bijan Rademacher was 3-for-3 with a run. Gioskar Amaya was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
The game: Tyler Grimes delivered a two-run single-plus-error in the second to give Fort Myers a 2-0 lead. Daytona did not get a man past first base until the sixth, when Amaya doubled in a run to cut the lead to 2-1. The Cubs had the bases loaded with one out, but a double play ended the inning. The Miracle came right back with two in the bottom of the sixth, with Walker II leading off the inning with a homer and Harrison doubling in a run later in the inning. Walker II doubled in a run in the seventh to make it 5-1. Daytona put men on first and third in the eighth, but again a double play ended the inning and the Cubs did not threaten again.
Of note: Aderlin Mejia was 1-for-4. Dalton Hicks was 1-for-5 with a run. Max Kepler was 0-for-4.
Playoff update: Fort Myers takes a 1-0 lead over Daytona in the championship series. Game 2 is tonight, again in Fort Myers.
CEDAR RAPIDS 2, BURLINGTON 1 IN BURLINGTON
Batting stars: Logan Wade was 1-for-4 with a home run. Chad Christensen was 2-for-4 with a run. Alex Swim was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Pitching stars: Mat Batts pitched 5.2 innings, giving up one run on three hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Brian Gilbert struck out two in 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and a walk. Jake Reed pitched a scoreless inning, giving up two hits with one strikeout.
Opposition stars: Sean Newcomb struck out six in five innings, allowing one run on four hits and a walk with one strikeout. Brandon Bayardi was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Erick Salcedo was 2-for-3.
The game: There was no score until the fourth, when Christensen, Max Murphy, and Swim led off the inning with singles to give Cedar Rapids a 1-0 lead. The Kernels could do no more, however, and with two out in the sixth, Kody Eaves singles, stole second, and scored on a Bayardi single. Wade put Cedar Rapids back on top in the eighth with a one-out home run. Burlington opened the bottom of the eighth with two singles, the second a bunt that led to a disputed call at first base and the ejection of Kernels manager Jake Mauer. He wasn't around, then, to see Cedar Rapids work out of the jam with a pickoff and a double play. Two singles opened the Bees ninth as well, but a strikeout and another double play ended the game.
Of note: Jonatan Hinojosa was 1-for-4. Murphy was 1-for-4.
Playoff update: Cedar Rapids and Burlington are tied 1-1 in the best-of-three series. The series will be decided tonight. In other series, West Michigan beat Fort Wayne 2-1 to tie that series, Kane County beat Wisconsin 4-3 in 13 innings to sweep that series, and Lake County defeated South Bend 7-2 to sweep that series.
TODAY'S TILTS
6:05 Daytona at Fort Myers
6:30 Cedar Rapids at Burlington