Hedges Tosses Gem, Railroaders, RailCats Rally, Cougars Crush Saltdogs
Featured Image Courtesy of 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 five games in the American Association on Thursday, including the Zach Hedges tossing a gem for the Sioux City Explorers, the Cleburne Railroaders and Gary SouthShore RailCats rally to earn victories, and the Kane County Cougars blast the Lincoln Saltdogs. This, plus much more.
Game Recaps for Thursday
RailCats Rally Late to Down RedHawks
The Gary SouthShore RailCats scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning to earn a 6-3 victory over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks on Thursday afternoon. Fargo took the lead in the bottom of the first inning when Peter Maris led off with his 18th homerun of the season. The RailCats responded in the top of the second, flexing their muscles as well, as Sam Abbott drilled a two-run homer, his 16th of the year. The RedHawks tied the score in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice by Sam Dexter.
In the top of the eighth, Gary SouthShore took the lead for good. Nate Scantlin put the RailCats on top for good with an RBI single and Michael Woodworth followed with a sacrifice fly. Two batters later, Jesus Marriaga delivered a two run double to make it 6-2. Maris added a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth, but Fargo was to get no closer.
Julio Vivas earned the victory while Luke Lind took the loss. LG Castillo and Scantlin each had two hits for the RailCats. Daniel Lingua had four hits. Leobaldo Pina went 2-3 with a run scored for the RedHawks.
Gary SouthShore RailCats Recap by Ryan Zimmerman
Hedges Tosses Gem for Explorers
Zach Hedges allowed one run in eight innings to help lead the Sioux City Explorers to a 4-1 victory over the Sioux Falls Canaries. Hedges gave up three hits, shutting down Sioux Falls through the first six innings. The Canaries finally got on the board in the seventh on an RBI single by Jabari Henry.
However, the Explorers held a commanding lead by that point. Two runs in the first and fourth innings helped stake their starter to more than enough run support. Trey Martin got things going in the top of the first, drilling a two-run homer, his ninth of the year. Three innings later, Miguel Sierra delivered an RBI double and Jack Kelly followed with a run-scoring single.
Thomas McIlraith came on in the ninth to record his 18th save of the season. Martin and Gabe Snyder each finished with two hits. Ty Culbreth took the loss.
Sioux City Explorers Recap by Connor Ryan
Six-Run First Propels Monarchs
The Kansas City Monarchs scored six runs in the bottom of the first to take control of this game, as they defeated the Winnipeg Goldeyes, 7-4. Winnipeg put up a run in the top of the first against Monarchs starter Matt Hall, but Kansas City responded with six runs on four hits in the bottom half of the frame. The first three batters of the game reached on walks and Jacob Robson made Goldeyes starter Jhon Vargas pay, drilling a bases clearing triple. Jan Hernandez followed with a single and Pete Kozma provided a two run double.
Winnipeg chipped away with two runs in the third to pull within three and added a run in the top of the eighth inning, but Alexis Olmeda homered in the bottom half of the eighth to seal the victory. Hall allowed three runs in five innings to earn his ninth victory of the season. Hernandez and Gio Brusa each had two hits for the Monarchs. Raul Navarro and Ian Sagdal each had two hits for Winnipeg.
Winnipeg Goldeyes Recap by Jason Young
Kansas City Monarchs Recap by GMW Vaughan
Cougars Crush Saltdogs
The Kane County Cougars put up 20 hits on their way to a 17-2 victory over the Lincoln Saltdogs. Kane County scored five in the first, four in the second, and three in the third to take control of this game early. Josh Rolette had a two-run single and Alexis Pantoja hit a three-run homer in the first. In the second, Nick Franklin added a three-run homer, his first homerun since joining Kane County. The Cougars added one more in the sixth and four more in the eighth.
That was far more than enough support for Kane County starter Jack Fox, who allowed one earned run in 6.0 innings. Every player in the Kane County lineup had at least one hit and scored at least one run. Pantoja, Franklin, and Galli Cribbs each drove in three. Sherman Johnson, Jimmy Kerrigan, and Cribbs each had three hits. Jason Rogers had three hits for Lincoln.
Lincoln Saltdogs Recap by Michael Dixon
Railroaders Rally Late to Down Dogs
The Cleburne Railroaders scored seven runs over the final three frames to defeat the Chicago Dogs, 11-5. Cleburne took the lead in the top of the first on a three-run homer by Chase Simpson, his 24th of the season. Chicago got one of those runs back in the bottom half of the frame, then tied the score in the third on a ground out by K. C. Hobson and a single by Grant Kay.
In the fifth, the Railroaders jumped back on top on a sacrifice fly by Kacy Clemens, but Chicago took the lead in the bottom half of the frame when Hobson drilled his 14th homerun of the season. That lead held until the seventh before Cleburne jumped in front for good. Hill Alexander tied the score with an RBI double and scored on a ground out by Hunter Wolfe. Cleburne added one more run in the eighth, then blew this game open in the ninth on a three-run homer by Chuck Taylor and a solo shot by Zach Nehrir.
Brandon Bell earned the victory while James Reeves took the loss. Simpson finished 3-5 with two runs scored and three RBI and Taylor and Nehrir each had two hits and scored three runs. Hobson finished with three RBI for Chicago and Michael Crouse scored two runs.
Three Stars of the Night
No. 3 – Chase Simpson (Cleburne Railroaders) 3-5, 2 R, HR, Double, 3 RBI, BB
No. 2 – Alexis Pantoja (Kane County Cougars) 4-5, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI
No. 1 – Zach Hedges (Sioux City Explorers) 8.0 IP,3 H, BB, ER, 4 K
American Association Daily Notes
Kansas City LHP Matt Hall saw his consecutive scoreless inning streak and at 24 straight innings when he gave up a run in the top of the first on Thursday. The streak is the longest scoreless stretch in the American Association this season… Kansas City Monarchs infielder David Thompson has now reached base and 30 consecutive games… The Chicago Dogs became the third team to clinch a playoff spot on Wednesday. They joined the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks and the Kansas City Monarchs.
Transactions
Chicago: Activated RHP Ryan Clark from the Injured List
Fargo-Moorhead: Signed RHP Reid Birlingmair
Kansas City: Released INF Matt Adams
By Robert Pannier
