Cougars Rally, Dogs Down Cleburne, Harris, Banks Homer Twice

Robert Pannier May 28, 2023

Photo Credit: Jennifer Andreachi/Field Dreams Photography

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 Kane County Cougars rallying to defeat the Gary SouthShore RailCats, the Chicago Dogs took their fifth straight from the Cleburne Railroaders, and Chase Harris homers twice for the Sioux City Explorers.

Game Recaps for Saturday

Cougars Rally to Down RailCats

The Kane County Cougars trailed 5-2 entering the top of the sixth, but scored 10 unanswered runs to earn a 12-5 victory over the Gary SouthShore RailCats. The club scored a run in the sixth, then added five in the seventh and four in the eighth. That made a winner of Ryan Richardson, who tossed 2.2 scoreless innings. Spencer Van Scoyoc tossed the final three innings to earn the save.

The RailCats took the lead in the bottom of the second inning thanks to a two-run triple off the bat of Marco Hernandez. Hernandez came around to score on an error to give Gary Southshore a 3-0 lead. The lead became four in the third thanks to an Emmanuel Tapia sacrifice fly. The teams exchanged runs in the fourth with T.J. Bennett hitting his first home run of the season and Hernandez delivering an RBI double.

Kane County cut the deficit to two on a groundout by Bennett in the sixth, but exploded in the seventh. Cornelius Randolph tied the score with a two run double and Bennett delivered a two-run single two batters later. A wild pitch brought home Jimmy Kerrigan to give Kane County an 8-5 lead. An inning later, Kerrigan blasted a grand slam, his first home run of the season.

Kerrigan and Bennett each finished with two hits and four RBI. Kerrigan scored three runs. Cesar Trejo also scored three runs and Randolph was 2-3, with two runs scored and three RBI. Hernandez had two hits and three RBI for the RailCats and Francisco Del Valle had two hits and scored twice.

Gary SouthShore RailCats Recap by Ryan Zimmerman

Boxscore

RedHawks Erupt Late to Down Milkmen

The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks scored a run in the eighth and added five more in the ninth to defeat the Milwaukee Milkmen, 8-2. This was a great pitchers’ duel between Kevin McGovern and Frankie Bartow, as each starter allowed two runs. However, the bullpen for the Milkmen falter, as Trevin Reynolds allowed six runs over the final two innings to take the loss.

The RedHawks took the lead in the top of the second on a wild pitch, but Milwaukee responded with two in the bottom of the third, as Reggie Pruitt drilled a two-run homer, his second of the season. Fargo-Moorhead tied the score in the top of the fifth and the game remained that way until the eighth when Ben Livorsi hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot that made it 3-2.

This had been a nail-bitter, but the RedHawks blew it open in the ninth, scoring five runs on four hits. A single and a hit by pitch put two on with one down for Manuel Boscan, who drove home both runners with a base hit. Two batters later, Leobaldo Pina connected for a three-run homer, his first of the season.

Milwaukee produced just three hits in the game. Pina and Boscan were each to-five with a run scored. Pina drove in three while Boscan drove in two.

Boxscore

Seven Run Frame Propels Explorers

The Sioux City Explorers broke open a one run game, scoring seven runs in the fourth inning on their way to a 16-5 victory over the Sioux Falls Canaries. That was more than enough support for Jared Weatherbee (2-0), who earned the victory, allowing two runs in five innings. Sioux City hit five home runs in the contest.

Eury Perez got the scoring going, hitting his second home run of the season to lead off the bottom of the second. The Explorers extended the lead to three, scoring twice in the bottom of the third, but Sioux Falls cut the deficit to a single run when they responded with two runs in the top of the fourth. That sent the game to the bottom of the fourth where Sioux City blew this game open, scoring seven runs off eight hits. Chase Harris hit his first home run of the game, a two-run blast, and Jake Sanford also drilled a two-run homer, his first of the year. Vince Fernandez later hit a two-run homer in the frame, his third of the year.

The Explorers added three more in the seventh and eighth innings. Harris hit his second two-run homer of the game in the bottom of the eighth, giving him three home runs on the season. Nick Anderson hit a three-run home run for Sioux Falls and the top of the eighth, his fifth of the year. Harris finished 3-5 with two runs scored and four RBI.

Lincoln Saltdogs Recap by Michael Dixon

Sioux City Explorers Recap by Austin Thomas

Boxscore

Monarchs Homer Three Times to Down DockHounds

The Kansas City Monarchs hit three home runs and scored in five of the nine frames to defeat the Lake Country DockHounds, 7-3. Chris Herrmann, Jacob Robson, and Justin Wylie all went deep for Kansas City. Cody Deason earned his second victory of the season, allowing three runs in 5.2 innings. Nick Banks homered twice for Lake Country.

The Monarchs took the lead in the top of the first when Robson hit a one out homer, his second of the year. In the third, Robson delivered an RBI single to extend the lead to two, but Banks hit his first home run of the day, a two-run shot in the bottom of the third to knot the contest at two.

Kansas City took the lead for good in the top of the fifth when Olivier Basabe scored on an error, and added three more in the sixth as Herrmann led off with his sixth home run of the year and Johneshwy Fargas drove home two more with a double. Banks homered in the bottom half of the inning, giving him three on the season. Wylie added his first home run of the season to lead off the eighth.

Kansas City Monarchs Recap by Carter Woodiel

Boxscore

Dogs Down Railroaders…Again

The Chicago Dogs are making a statement early on, winning their fifth straight game in Cleburne, downing the Railroaders, 7-5. Nick Green (1-1) earned the victory, allowing two runs in six innings. Brian Schlitter closed out the contest for his third save of the year.

The Railroaders jumped on top, scoring two in the bottom of the third thanks to a two-run single by Alex Jackson. The Dogs responded right away in the top of the fourth as Cody Bohanek drilled a three-run shot, his fourth of the year. The Dogs extended the lead to two on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Lidge in the fifth, and got RBI doubles by Jesus Lujano and Matt Bottcher in the sixth.

It looked like this game was all but over when Chicago tacked on one more run of the top of the ninth, but Cleburne battled in the bottom half of the frame, scoring three runs while bringing the time run to the plate with just one down. However, Schlitter was able to get the final two outs to preserve the victory.

Bohanek finished with two runs scored and three RBI. Guillermo Quintana scored twice for Cleburne.

Boxscore

Goldeyes Even Series with Canaries

The Winnipeg Goldeyes scored four in the third and added five more in the fourth as they downed the Sioux Falls Canaries, 11-6. That evened the series at one. Andy Armstrong, Max Murphy, and Jacob Bockelie each drove in two for Winnipeg. Dayson Croes scored three times.

Sioux Falls took the lead in the top of the first, but Winnipeg erased the one run deficit in the third, scoring four runs on five hits. Armstrong tied the game with an RBI single and Murphy followed with a base hit of his own, scoring Croes. Armstrong scored on an error on the play. Chris Burgess later brought home Murphy with a single. In the fourth, Winnipeg blew this game open, scoring five runs on just three hits. Two errors were instrumental in getting this rally started, as both of the first two hitters of the inning reached on errors by third baseman Darnell Sweeney.

Sioux Falls tried to rally to get back into the game, scoring single runs in the fifth, sixth, and eighth innings, and adding two more in the seventh, but they could get no closer. Sweeney hit his second home run of the season for Sioux Falls, and went 3-4 with a run and two RBI. Wyatt Ulrich scored four runs. Armstrong was 3-5 with two runs and two RBI for Winnipeg, and Croes went 2-4 with three runs scored. Hidekel Gonzalez hit his fifth homerun of the year.

Winnipeg Goldeyes Recap by Doug Greenwald

Boxscore

Three Stars of the Night

No. 3 – Wyatt Ulrich (Sioux Falls Canaries) 1-4, 4 R, BB, 2 SB

No. 2 – Nick Banks (Lake Country DockHounds) 2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI

No. 1 – Chase Harris (Sioux City Explorers) 5.0 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 0 ER, 3 K

American Association Daily Notes

The Gary SouthShore RailCats have lost their first series of the season after losing on Saturday. The team had dropped the first contest of their first four series, but came back to win the final two games of each set. However, they have dropped the first two games of the series against the Kane County Cougars… The Sioux Falls Canaries stole five bases on Saturday, two by Wyatt Ulrich… Gary SouthShore RailCats OF LG Castillo and Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks OF Dillon Thomas each extended their hitting streaks to 14 straight games. Castillo has hits in 16 straight games dating back to last season… Chicago Dogs shortstop Josh Altmann leads the American Association with 13 extra-base hits. Seven of those have been homeruns.

Transactions

Cleburne: Signed INF Jose Curpa

Kansas City: Placed LHP Brandon Finnegan on the Injured List; Signed INF Edwin Díaz

Lake Country: Released LHP Evan Kruczynski

Lincoln: Activated INF Will Kengor from the Injured List; Placed RHP Carson Lance on the Injured List retroactive to May 22; OF Zane Zurbrugg on the Injured List retroactive to May 19

Milwaukee: Traded INF Delvin Zinn to Sioux City for a player to be named later.