DockHounds Sweep Double-Header, Upshaw Homers Twice

Robert Pannier July 5, 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, Rob Pannier recaps the seven great games in the American Association on Tuesday, including the Lake Country DockHounds sweeping a double-header, the Kane County Cougars win a slugfest, and Hill Alexander delivers a walk-off hit for the Cleburne Railroaders.

Game Recaps for Tuesday

DockHounds Sweep Double-Header
Mike Shawaryn tossed a complete game shutout in the opener, and the Lake Country DockHounds used a big five-run third inning in the second as the team swept the Gary SouthShore RailCats in their double-header on July 4. The sweep moved Lake Country two games ahead of Gary SouthShore in the standings.

In the opener, Shawaryn (4-4) evened his record, allowing six hits and two walks while striking out four. The DockHounds provided all the run support he needed in the top of the first when Nick Banks doubled to the wall to drive home Blake Tiberi. In the sixth, Lake Country blew the game open, scoring four runs, capped off by a three-run homer by Brian Rey. The DockHounds added one more in the seventh to close out the scoring.

Game 1 Boxscore

In the second game, Lake Country jumped out to a seven-run lead and lead 8-2 at one point, then held on for an 8-5 victory. The DockHounds took the lead in the top of the second when Banks led off the inning with his 10th homer of the year and Dustin Woodcock added an RBI double. Two innings later, the lead became seven behind five runs on three hits. Back-to-back bases loaded walks extended the lead to five and Demetrius Sims followed with a two-run single.

The RailCats finally got on the board when Gio Diaz hit a two-run homer, his first of the year. Marcus Chiu led off the top of the fifth with his eighth home run of the year. Gary SouthShore refused to quit, however, scoring a run in the fifth and adding two more in the sixth, but got no closer.

Gary SouthShore RailCats Recap by Zach Letson

Game 2 Boxscore

Prime Leads RedHawks in Series Opener

Fresh off earning a spot on the All-Star game roster is a pitcher, Correlle Prime proved that he is an outstanding hitter as well, homering and driving in three to lead the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks to an 8-6 victory over the Milwaukee Milkmen. Prime finished with two hits and Leobaldo Pina, Evan Alexander, and Matt Goodheart each scored two runs for the RedHawks.

Milwaukee took the lead in the top of the first thanks to back-to-back RBI singles by Roy Morales and Miguel Gomez. Christian Young breezed through the first three innings, but found himself in trouble in the fourth, giving up four runs on four hits. Prime pulled his team within one with an RBI single and two runs scored on a double by Goodheart. He later scored on a single by Sam Dexter.

Fargo-Moorhead extended the lead in the fifth when Prime drilled a two-run homer, his eighth of the season. Milwaukee responded in the top of the sixth, plating four to knot the game at six. Gomez delivered an RBI double and Aaron Hill plated two with a single. A single by Reggie Pruitt made it 6-6. The game remained tied until the eighth when Dexter gave his team the lead for good with a sacrifice fly and Goodheart scored on a single by Nick Novak.

That made a winner of Alex DuBord, who tossed a scoreless eighth. Reza Aleaziz came on in the ninth and gave up back-to-back singles, but induced a double play to end the contest for his second save of the year.

Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks Recap by Chad Miller

Boxscore

Matson, Four-Run Third Leads Monarchs

Zach Matson allowed just one hit, a two-out single in the fifth, leading the Kansas City Monarchs to a 5-2 victory over the Sioux Falls Canaries. The Kansas City starter dominated, retiring 12 of the first 13 batters he faced with a leadoff walk in the second being the only blemish. Sioux Falls finally mounted a rally when they got to on with two down in the fifth. Carson Clowers then delivered an RBI single to break up the no-hit bid.

However, by that point Kansas City held a five-run advantage. The Monarchs jumped out in front on an RBI single by LJ Hatch in the second and blew this game open in the third when Justin Wylie hit a grand slam, his fourth of the year. Sioux Falls added one more run in the ninth when Trevor Achenbach hit his sixth homer of the year, but would get no closer.

Akeem Bostick took the loss, giving up four earned runs in five innings. Achenbach scored both runs for the Canaries. Gavin Collins had three hits for Kansas City, and Wylie scored twice.

Kansas City Monarchs Recap by Nolan Brooks

Boxscore

Alexander Walk-Off Hit Ends Wild Affair

Hill Alexander delivered a walk off hit in the bottom of the ninth to give the Cleburne Railroaders a 5-4 victory over the Lincoln Saltdogs. That ended a wild affair that saw the team score seven of the nine runs in the final two frames.

Cleburne took the lead in the bottom of the first, but Lincoln tied the score in the top of the fourth. This continued as a great pitcher’s duel between Railroaders starter Kevin Hilton and Saltdogs hurler Abdallah Arias as both starters allowed one run in seven innings.

Both came out of the eighth and the floodgates opened. Lincoln took the lead in the top of the eighth, as Nick Anderson delivered a two-run single. In the bottom half of the inning, the Railroaders responded, scoring three. Lincoln tied the score in the top of the ninth, but Alexander delivered the game-winner in the bottom half. That made a winner of Nick Gardewine, who earned the victory despite walking in the tying run in the top half of the inning. Matt Cronin took the loss.

Lincoln Saltdogs Recap by Michael Dixon

Boxscore

Upshaw Homers Twice in Cougars Victory

Armond Upshaw homered twice and drove in four as the Kane County Cougars outslugged the Chicago Dogs, 11-10. The teams combined for 29 hits as J.D. Osborne had three hits for Kane County and David Maberry recorded three for Chicago.

The Cougars got rolling early, coming out of the first inning with a 3-1 lead. Upshaw hit his first home run of the night and an error and a Daniel Wasinger single extended the lead to three. The Cougars extended the lead to four when Osborne and Jonah Davis led off the third with back-to-back homers, and made it a 9-3 advantage in the sixth thanks to an RBI single by Pete Kozma and a three-run shot by Upshaw.

The Dogs refused to quit, however, scoring two in the bottom of the sixth and added four more in the seventh. A two run double by Jesus Lujano tied the score at nine. In the eighth, Kane County retook the lead only to see Chicago get one of those runs back, making it 11-10. However, Daniel Bies came on to close the door and the ninth to earn his seventh save of the season.

Goldeyes-Explorers Wiped Out

The Contest between the Winnipeg Goldeyes and the Sioux City Explorers was postponed because of rain. The game will be made up as part of a double-header on Wednesday.

Three Stars of the Night

No. 3 – Zach Matson (Kansas City Monarchs) 6.0 IP, H, ER, 3 BB, 5 K

No. 2 – Mike Shawaryn (Lake Country DockHounds) 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 0 ER, 4 K

No. 1 – Armond Upshaw (Lincoln Saltdogs) 5-6, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR

American Association Daily Notes

Kane County Cougars infielder Josh Allen has now reached base in 36 straight games the longest streak in the American Association this season… Cougars closer Daniel Bies has been scored upon in just one of his 20 appearances, allowing one earned run in 27.2 innings pitched. He has a 0.32 ERA.