Holmberg Dominates, Sheaks Muzzles Dogs, DockHounds Win

Robert Pannier July 23, 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 six games in the American Association on Saturday, including the Lake Country DockHounds and Winnipeg Goldeyes winning in 10 innings, David Holmberg dominates for the Lincoln Saltdogs, and John Sheaks tosses a shut out for the Gary SouthShore RailCats.

Game Recaps for Saturday

Sheaks Muzzles Dogs

The game may have been shortened by rain, but John Sheaks made the most of it, tossing seven scoreless innings to lead the Gary SouthShore RailCats to a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Dogs. The right-hander allowed four hits and a walk while striking out seven to earn his fifth victory of the year.

Gary SouthShore took the lead in the bottom of the first on a wild pitch that brought home Daniel Lingua. Three innings later, they extended the lead to two when Gio Diaz scored on a groundout. That was all the support that Sheaks needed, retiring the last 11 batters he faced.

Boxscore

Goldeyes Down Milkmen in 10

The Winnipeg Goldeyes gave up a two-run advantage in the bottom of the ninth inning, but still came away with the victory, scoring a run in the top of the 10th to defeat the Milwaukee Milkmen, 8-7. A wild pitch helped to produce the winning run giving Samuel Adames the victory.

Winnipeg jumped out to a six-run advantage, scoring a run in the second, adding three in the third, and two in the fifth. Jacob Bockelie led off the second with his sixth home run of the season, and Bockelie added his second home run of the game in the third, a three-run shot. Two innings later, the Goldeyes added to their lead thanks to an RBI double by Najee Gaskins and a run-scoring single by Tommy McCarthy.

Milwaukee got on the board in the bottom of the fifth on a run-scoring double by Rudy Martin and an RBI single by Bryan Torres. In the sixth, the Milkmen cut the deficit to one as Martin drove home his second run of the game and Torres added a two-run single. Winnipeg looked like they had sealed the victory in the top of the ninth when Max Murphy hit his 17th home run of the season, but the Milkmen tied the score on a sacrifice fly by Gabriel Cancel and an RBI single by Aaron Hill. That set up the ninth where Nate Hadley threw wild pitch that brought home the winning run.

Torres finished 3-6 with three RBI for the Milkmen. Murphy was 3-3 with three runs scored and an RBI and Gaskins also had three hits for Winnipeg, scoring two runs and adding an RBI.

Boxscore

Monarchs Hold on to Down Railroaders

Jacob Robson threw out the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning to help preserve a 3-2 victory for the Kansas City Monarchs over the Cleburne Railroaders. Kansas City took the lead right off, scoring a run in the first and adding one in the third, but Cleburne tied the score, putting up two runs in the bottom of the third. In the fifth, Kansas City retook the lead.

Jalen Miller was in line to earn the victory, allowing one earned run in 5.2 innings. Gavin Collins and Trey Jeans combined to toss 2.1 scoreless innings, sending it to the ninth where Patrick Weigel came on looking to preserve the victory for his seventh save of the season. It looked like Cleburne would tie the game when Guillermo Quintana led off with a double and moved to third on a passed ball. Jarel McDade then lofted a ball to right field that looked like it would score Quintana, but Robson made the catch, then made a perfect throw to the plate, recording the double play to end the threat.

Kansas City Monarchs Recap by Carter Woodiel

Boxscore

DockHounds Thwart Canaries Comeback

The Sioux Falls Canaries rallied from a 9-3 deficit to force extra innings, but the Lake Country DockHounds came away with the only run in the extra frame, defeating Sioux Falls, 11-10. That made a victor of closer Jojanse Torres, who tossed a scoreless top of the 10th. José Cruz took the loss. Lake Country hit five home runs in the contest, including two by both Curtis Terry and Steven Sensley.

Sioux Falls took the lead in the top of the second on a two-run home run by Trevor Achenbach, his eighth of the year. Lake Country responded right away, as Terry hit a two-run homer in the bottom half of the frame tie the score. The DockHounds added two more runs an inning later in extended the lead for in the fourth thanks to a two-run homer off the bat of Brian Rey.

In the fifth, it looked like the DockHounds had put this game away as Sensley hit a two-run homer, his first of the day, and Terry added his second long ball of the evening. Sioux Falls refused to quit, as the team scored three runs in the top of the sixth, capped off by a two-run homer by Shamoy Christopher, his first home run of the evening. Sensley added a solo shot in the bottom half of the frame, making it 10-6. Lake Country looked like they were in prime position to earn the victory, but the Canaries scored four in the top of the eighth as Achenbach delivered an RBI double and Welington Dotel a two-run single. Christopher added a solo home run to knot the game at 10.

That sent the game to the 10th where Jaxx Groshans attempted to move the runner over on a sacrifice. However, the throw by Achenbach was wild, allowing Rey to come around the score the winning run.

Jabari Henry was 4-5 with four runs scored and an RBI and Achenbach was 2-5 with two runs and three RBI. Dotel and Christopher each drove in three runs as well and Mike Hart had three hits. Demetrius Sims and Sensley each had three hits for the DockHounds.

Boxscore

Holmberg Dominates for Saltdogs

David Holmberg allowed one run in seven innings to lead the Lincoln Saltdogs to a 7-1 victory over the Sioux City Explorers. Holmberg kept his record perfect, moving to 3-0 in his fourth start of the season. Connor Panas led the offense, hitting his 12th home run of the season and driving in three.

Sioux City took the lead in the bottom of the first inning, but it was all Lincoln from there as the Saltdogs scored two in the third, fifth, and seventh innings, and added one in the ninth. Luke Roskam had a two-run single and Yanio Perez added a two-run double. Both Nick Anderson and Drew Devine scored twice for the Saltdogs. Chase Harris had three hits for Sioux City.

Lincoln Saltdogs Recap by Michael Dixon

Sioux City Explorers Recap by Austin Thomas

Boxscore

Beardsley Dominates for Cougars

Tyler Beardsley allowed one run in seven innings to earn his fifth victory of the season as the Kane County Cougars defeated the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, 4-2. Beardsley outdueled Fargo-Moorhead left-hander Kevin McGovern to earn the victory. Daniel Bies came on in the ninth to close out the game for his eighth save of the season.

The game was scoreless through three, but Kane County jumped out on top in the top of the fourth on a two-run single by Todd Lott. The RedHawks cut the deficit in half when Nick Novak led off the bottom of the fifth with his seventh home run of the season, but Kane County responded in the top of the sixth as Donivan Williams and Lott each drove in a run. Fargo-Moorhead got one run back in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single by Manuel Boscan, but the club was shut down from there.

Williams had three hits for the Cougars and Lott drove in three runs. Novak had three hits for the RedHawks.

Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks Recap by Chad Miller

Boxscore

Three Stars of the Night

No. 3 – Jacob Bockelie (Winnipeg Goldeyes) 2-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI

No. 2 – John Sheaks (Gary SouthShore RailCats) 7.0 IP, CG, ShO, 4 H, BB, 0 ER, 7 K

No. 1 – Steven Sensley (Lake Country DockHounds) 3-5, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR, Double

American Association Daily Notes

Kansas City Monarchs right-hander Jalen Miller earned his seventh save of the season, tying him for the American Association lead… Winnipeg Goldeyes outfielder Max Murphy hit his 17th home run of the year. That is tied with José Sermo for the league lead… The Lake Country DockHounds had two players hit two homeruns in the same game for the first time in franchise history. Both Steven Sensley and Curtis Terry went deep twice for the DockHounds… Milwaukee Milkmen right-hander Peyton Gray saw his string of 10 straight appearances without giving up a run snapped on Saturday. Gray had not been scored upon since June 18, a span of 10.2 innings… Kane County Cougars closer Daniel Bies extended his scoreless string to 11 straight appearances. Bies has tossed 12.2 consecutive scoreless innings.