ST. PAUL SAINTS 3, OMAHA STORM CHASERS 2 IN ST. PAUL
Jair Camargo started the scoring with a two-run homer in the fourth. Andrew Morris held Omaha scoreless for five innings, but then left the game, and reliever Cory Lewis allowed two runs in the sixth to tie it. Not to worry, as Carson McCusker homered in the bottom of the sixth to give the Saints the lead back. Lewis settled down to pitch two scoreless innings, and Anthony Misiewicz pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.
Batters: Austin Martin was 2-for-3 with a walk. Carson McCusker was 2-for-4 with a home run. Emmanuel Rodriguez was 2-for-4. Jair Camargo was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk.
Pitchers: Andrew Morris pitched five shutout innings, giving up four hits and two walks and striking out three. Anthony Misiewicz pitched a scoreless inning, striking out one and walking one.
Opposition: Luca Tresh was 2-for-3.
Record: St. Paul is 3-5, tied for eighth with Indianapolis, 4.5 games behind Columbus.
MIDLAND ROCKHOUNDS 8, WICHITA WIND SURGE 4 IN WICHITA
Midland scored three in the top of the first, but Wichita bounced back with a Rubel Cespedes grand slam in the bottom of the first to take a 4-3 lead. Luke Mann hit a two-run homer in the second, however, and Midland added another in the third to go up 6-4. Wichita got two on with one out in the eighth with Cespedes again up, but he could not come through again, striking out, and a fly out ended the threat. Midland added two in the ninth to put the game out of reach.
Batters: Rubel Cespedes was 2-for-4 with a home run and a double.
Pitchers: Starter Ricky Castro had a rough go, allowing six runs on five hits and three walks in 2.2 innings. He struck out two. Mike Paredes pitched 3.1 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and one walk and striking out three. Jaylin Nowlin struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk.
Opposition: Euribiel Angeles was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Luke Mann was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and two runs. Colby Halter was 1-for-5 with two RBIs. Micah Dallas struck out four in two shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk. Colin Peluse pitched two shutout innings, giving up two hits and striking out one.
Record: Wichita is 2-3, tied for third with Arkansas, 2.5 games behind Northwest Arkansas.
BELOIT SKY CARP 10, CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS 0 IN CEDAR RAPIDS
It was actually close most of the way. Beloit scored two in the third and one in the eighth before exploding for seven in the ninth. The Kernels managed only three hits.
Batters: None.
Pitchers: Starter Ross Dunn pitched 3.1 innings, giving up two runs on three hits and two walks and striking out one. Wilker Reyes struck out four in 2.2 scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk. Jack Noble struck out one in a perfect inning.
Opposition: Jay Beshears was 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, and two RBIs. Yiddi Cappe was 2-for-4 with a walk, three runs, and three RBIs. Fenwick Trimble was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Brock Vradenburg was 2-for-5 with a triple, a double, and two RBIs. Noble Meyer pitched 4.2 scoreless innings, giving up three hits and two walks and striking out two. Justin Storm pitched three shutout innings, giving up only a walk. I don't know how good this team is, but they have some guys with great names.
Record: Cedar Rapids is 3-2, in third place, one game behind Beloit and Quad Cities.
FORT MYERS MIGHTY MUSSELS 5, TAMPA TARPONS 1 IN FORT MYERS
A sacrifice fly brought home a run in the first to give Fort Myers the lead. Tampa tied it in the fourth on a bases-loaded hit by pitch. Jose Rodriguez singled in the bottom of the fourth to put Fort Myers back up 2-1, and there things stood until the seventh, when Dameury Pena delivered a two-run single. A wild pitch plated one more in the seventh, and that brought us to the final score of 5-1.
Batters: Byron Chourio was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and two runs. Yasser Mercedes was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. Dameury Pena was 1-for-3 with three RBIs.
Pitchers: Starter Michael Carpenter pitched just one inning, but it was a scoreless inning, as he struck out three, walked two, and gave up one hit. He threw thirty-six pitches in the inning, which we assume is why he was replaced. Kade Bragg pitched two shutout innings, giving up three hits and a walk and striking out one. Jacob Kisting struck out six in 2.1 scoreless innings. Ivran Romero pitched two shutout innings, walking two and striking out one. Tyler Stasiowski pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a walk.
Opposition: Brian Sanchez was 2-for-4. Danny Flatt pitched four innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks and striking out two.
Record: Fort Myers is 2-3, tied for fourth, one game out of first. Half the division is 3-2, the other half is 2-3.
TODAY'S TILTS
6:05 Tampa (TBD) at Fort Myers (Jakob Hall, 0-0, 12.00)
6:35 Beloit (Thomas White, 0-0, 0.00) at Cedar Rapids (Ty Langenberg, no record)
6:35 Midland (James Gonzalez, 1-0, 7.20) at Wichita (Chase Chaney, 0-0, 9.00)
6:37 Omaha (Tyson Guerrero, 1-1, 4.00) at St. Paul (Marco Raya, 0-0, 0.00)