Canaries End Skid in Slugfest, Cougars, Goldeyes, RedHawks Propelled by Big Frames
American Association Daily provides insights, features, and recaps of the action from around the American Association of Professional Baseball League, as well as player and coaching profiles and transactions. In today’s edition, Robert Pannier recaps the six games in the American Association on Saturday, including the Sioux Falls Canaries snapping their five-game losing streak, and the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, Winnipeg Goldeyes, and Kane County Cougars only using big innings to propel them to victory. This and much more.
Quiggle, Noriega Help Canaries End Losing Skid
Kona Quiggle and Andres Noriega each had four hits to help propel the Sioux Falls Canaries to an 18-10 victory over the Milwaukee Milkmen on Saturday, snapping the teams five-game losing streak. Sioux Falls looked like they were going to blow Milwaukee out of the Bird Cage, scoring three runs in the first, six in the third, and three more in the fourth. Milwaukee responded with four runs in the top of the fifth, but the Canaries came back with four in the bottom half of the inning, restoring their 11-run lead. Sioux Falls extended the lead to 18-6 before the Milkmen put four more on the board in the eighth, but it was not enough.
The Canaries rapped out 18 hits and recorded five walks. Quiggle was 4-5 with four runs scored and an RBI. Noriega went 4-5 with two runs scored and four RBI, including hitting his first homerun of the season. Jabari Henry also went deep for the Canaries, scoring two runs and driving in four. Wyatt Ulrich recorded two hits and drove in three. Despite giving up six runs in 6.0 innings, Ty Culbreth earned the victory.
Alex FaGalade took the loss for Milwaukee, giving up six earned runs in 2.2 innings. The Milkmen hit three home runs in the game, including one by Keon Barnum, his league-leading fifth of the year. Seven players in the Milwaukee lineup had at least two hits in the game, led by Chad Sedio who had three hits and scored three runs.
Graves Plates Winning Run to Propel Saltdogs
Sherman Graves drove home the winning run in the top of the ninth inning to give the Lincoln Saltdogs a 2-1 victory over the Gary SouthShore RailCats. The RailCats took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth, but Graves tied the score with an RBI single in the seventh. He then delivered the game-winning hit in the top of the ninth, doubling to center field to score Eddy Martinez with what became the winning run.
Graves finished 2-4 with two RBI. Martinez scored both runs for the Saltdogs. Carter Hope earned his second victory of the season, tossing a scoreless inning of relief. Brandon Cunniff came on in the ninth to close the contest out, earning his second save of the year.
That ruined a spectacular outing by Leif Strom, who tossed 5.1 hitless innings, striking out seven. Carlos Vega took the loss. Michael Cruz drove in the only run for Gary SouthShore as part of a two-hit performance.
Lincoln Saltdogs Recap by Michael Dixon
Gary SouthShore RailCats Recap by Ryan Zimmerman
Kansas City Mauls Dogs
The Kansas City Monarchs blew open a 3-1 game, scoring six runs in the bottom of the fourth on their way to an 11-2 victory over the Chicago Dogs. Chicago took a one run lead in the top of the first inning, only to see Kansas City respond with 11 unanswered runs before the Dogs finally got back on the board with a run in the top of the ninth.
Willie Abreu led the way for the Monarchs, going 3-5 with three runs scored and three RBI. Abreu also hit his second homerun of the season and added a double. Joel Booker, Darnell Sweeney, David Thompson, Jan Hernandez, and J.C. Escarra each had two hits for Kansas City. Lewis Thorpe was outstanding in his second start for the Monarchs, allowing one run in five innings while striking out nine.
Chicago was led by Charlie Tilson, who had two hits and drove in a run. Carl Brice took the loss, allowing six runs in 3.1 innings.
Kansas City Monarchs Recap by Jaxson Webb
Five-Run Second Propels Goldeyes Past DockHounds
The Winnipeg Goldeyes found themselves trailing by two runs coming out of the first inning, but scored five in the top of the second to take control of this game, earning a 6-2 victory over the Lake Country DockHounds. Winnipeg had two on with two down in the top of the second, but Raul Navarro delivered a clutch two run double to tie the score. After a walk, Ian Sagdal followed with a double, bringing both runners around to score. Max Murphy reached on an error to make it 5-2.
From there, it was all Freisis Adames. The Goldeyes starter allowed three runs in five innings to earn his first win of the season. Navarro finished with two hits.
Lake Country got home runs from T.J. Bennett and Gabriel Noriega. For Bennett, it was his third homerun of the season.
Lake Country DockHounds Recap by Sam Matheny
Cougars Early Surge Too Much for Explorers
The Kane County Cougars scored six runs in the top of the first inning, too much for the Sioux City Explorers to overcome as the Cougars earned an 8-5 victory. It was a troublesome first inning for Sioux City starter Carlos Sierra, who was greeted by a double by Ernie De La Trinidad to start the game. Cornelius Randolph followed with a triple and he scored on a sacrifice fly by Steve Lambardozzi. Jimmy Kerrigan followed with a double before Sierra issued back-to-back walks. The Explorers hurler then threw a pair of wild pitches, allowing three more runs to score.
That was all the run support that José Fuentes needed, earning his first victory by allowing three runs in 6.0 innings, striking out eight. Randolph finished with two hits and scored two runs, and Kerrigan and Nick Anderson each had three hits. Anderson scored two runs and added to RBI.
That ruined a big night for Sebastian Zawada, who was 3-5 with three runs scored. Trey Martin also had three hits for the Explorers. Sierra suffered his first loss of the year.
Sioux City Explorers Recap by Will Glocker
RedHawks Hang on to Down Railroaders
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks erased a two-run deficit, scoring four runs in the top of the sixth, then held on for an 8-6 victory over the Cleburne Railroaders. Pete Maris had the big blast of the inning, hitting a three-run homer, his third of the season, to make it a 7-3 game. Cleburne scored a run in the fifth and added two more in the seventh to pull within one, but the RedHawks added one more run in the ninth inning and Alex DuBord closed out the game for his third save of the season, striking out the side in the ninth.
Brady Stover earned the victory while Garrett Alexander took the loss for the Railroaders. John Silviano scored two runs for Fargo as seven different players scored runs for the RedHawks.
Hector Sanchez hit his first homerun of the season as part of a two hit, two RBI performance. Nick Shumpert also had two hits. Shumpert and Sanchez both scored two runs.
Three Stars of the Night
No. 3 – Leif Strom (Gary SouthShore RailCats) 5.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
No. 2 – Willie Abreu (Kansas City Monarchs) 3-5, 3 R, 3 RBI, HR, Double
No. 1 – Andres Noriega (Sioux Falls Canaries) 4-5, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 Doubles, HR
American Association Daily Notes
The Sioux Falls Canaries snap their five-game losing streak on Saturday. The team scored 18 runs, setting a season-high for the team. The Kane County Cougars have scored the most runs in a game this season, plating 20 on opening night…The Winnipeg Goldeyes Max Murphy extended his hitting streak to seven straight games… Keon Barnum has the Milwaukee Milkmen first baseman chasing the Triple Crown, leading the league in homeruns (5) and he is second in batting average (.462) and RBI (12)…Three-game winning streaks have the Lincoln Saltdogs in the Kane County Cougars leading their respective divisions with 6-2 records.
Transactions
Chicago: Placed C Dustin DeMars on the Inactive List retroactive to May 16; Signed RHP August Voight
Fargo-Moorhead: Released RHP Francisco Jimenez
Kane County: Released C Milton Perez
Sioux Falls: Signed RHP Christian Johnson and INF Osvaldo Martínez
By Robert Pannier
