Ledesma Shuts Out Goldeyes, Cougars Blank Dogs, Francis Hurls Gem
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 six games in the American Association on Saturday, including Stevie Ledesma tossing a complete game shutout to and the Sioux Falls Canaries losing skid, the Kane County Cougars shutout the Chicago Dogs, and Harrison Francis tosses a gem for the Gary SouthShore RailCats. This, plus much more.
Game Recaps for Saturday
Francis Stymies Milkmen
Harrison Francis tossed six shutout innings to lead the Gary SouthShore RailCats to a 3-2 victory over the Milwaukee Milkmen. This was a scoreless tie between the teams through four, as Milwaukee starter A. J. Schugel was matching Francis pitch for pitch. However, the RailCats got on the board in the fifth.
With one down, Thomas Greely singled and scored on a two-out double by Daniel Lingua. An inning later, Gary SouthShore extended the lead to three thanks to a two-run single by the Lester Madden. Harris left after six and the Milkmen were held off the score board in the seventh by Aaron Phillips. However, in the eighth, the team rallied for two runs against Julio Vivas as Will Kengor drove home a pair of runs with a single.
Jack Eisenbarger recorded the final four outs for his sixth save of the year. Lingua had three hits. Kengor had two hits for Milwaukee.
Gary SouthShore RailCats Recap by Ryan Zimmerman
Hilton Hurls Railroaders Past DockHounds
Kevin Hilton allowed three runs in seven innings to lead the Cleburne Railroaders to a 7-3 victory over the Lake Country DockHounds. Lake Country took the lead in the top of the first, but the Railroaders responded with four runs in the sixth and three in the seventh.
Hill Alexander gave Cleburne the lead with his 13th homerun of the season. The Railroaders led 4-1 entering the top of the seventh, but a passed ball and a sacrifice fly pulled the DockHounds within one. Cleburne responded in the bottom half of the frame as Chase Simpson singled to drive home Chuck Taylor and Nick Shumpert later delivered a two-run single.
Alexander finished with two runs scored and two RBI. Simpson had two hits, drove in two, and scored two runs. Jacob Bockelie had three hits. Lake Country was held the four hits in the contest. Gabriel Noriega had two hits.
Carter, Cougars Bullpen Blanks Dogs
- J. Carter earned his first victory of the season, tossing five scoreless innings as the Kane County Cougars defeated the Chicago Dogs, 3-0. Ryan Richardson tossed three scoreless innings and Ryan Tapani came on in the ninth to finish out the game for his fifth save of the season.
Kane County scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the first against Tanner Lawson. Cornelius Randolph drove home Ernie De La Trinidad with a fielder’s choice and Nick Franklin extended the lead to two with an RBI single. Alexis Pantoja drove home the final run of the game with an RBI single with two down in the inning.
Franklin finished with two hits. No Dogs hitter had more than one hit in the contest.
Saltdogs Hang on to Down Explorers
The Lincoln Saltdogs jumped out to a 5-2 lead, then held on to defeat the Sioux City Explorers, 5-4. The teams exchanged a pair of runs in the first inning. A sacrifice fly by Luke Roskam and an RBI single by Josh Altmann put Lincoln on top 2-0. The Explorers responded, as Danry Vasquez delivered an RBI double and he scored on a sacrifice fly by Trey Martin.
Lincoln retook the lead in the top of the third on an RBI double by Altmann. The club then looked like they put this game away, as Ryan Long extended the lead to two with an RBI single and the second run of the inning came home on an error. However, a pass ball in the eighth pulled the Explorers within one and the team cut the deficit to one on an RBI single by Miguel Sierra in the ninth. However, Carson Lance was able to induce a double play to end the game for his third save of the season.
Justin Byrd scored two runs for the Saltdogs. Long and Altmann each had two hits. Danny Amaral had three hits for the Explorers and Vasquez had two.
Lincoln Saltdogs Recap by Michael Dixon
Sioux City Explorers Recap by Connor Ryan
Monarchs Tie Homerun Mark in Victory
The Kansas City Monarchs used two homeruns to help lead the club to a 3-2 victory over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. Kansas City took the lead in the bottom of the first when Jacob Robson drilled his eighth homerun of the season, a two-run shot. Kansas City extended the lead to three on a solo homerun by Alexis Olmeda in the fifth.
That was more than enough support for Jalen Miller, who tossed 5.2 scoreless innings, despite living dangerously, allowing six walks in the contest, including loading the bases in the third. He left in the sixth and Fargo-Moorhead finally got on the board in the top of the seventh thanks to a two-run single by Leobaldo Piña.
However, Brandon Koch tossed a scoreless eighth and Alex Valdez came on in the ninth to earn his second save. Robson finished with three hits.
Kansas City Monarchs Recap by Dan Vaughan, Jr.
Ledesma Shuts Out Goldeyes
Stevie Ledesma went the distance, allowing five hits in a 4-0 shutout of the Winnipeg Goldeyes. The Sioux Falls Canaries starter was absolutely spectacular, allowing two walks while striking out 13 to earn his sixth victory of the season.
That spoiled Winnipeg starter Luis Ramirez fifth opportunity at an 11th victory. Ramirez allowed two unearned runs in six innings. Those runs came in the sixth, breaking a scoreless tie. Sioux Falls added two more in the seventh.
Jabari Henry and Aaron Takacs each had three hits for the Canaries. Takacs scored two runs. Henry hit his 29th homerun of the season. Kevin Lachance had two hits for the Goldeyes.
Winnipeg Goldeyes Recap by Steve Schuster
Three Stars of the Night
No. 3 – C. J. Carter (Kane County Cougars) 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 0 ER, 2 K
No. 2 – Jalen Miller (Kansas City Monarchs) 5.2 IP, 2 H, 6 BB, 0 ER, 6 K
No. 1 – Stevie Ledesma (Sioux Falls Canaries) 9.0 IP, CG, ShO, 5 H, 2 BB, 13 K
American Association Daily Notes
The Kane County Cougars victory on Saturday moved the team into a tie for the East Division will lead with the Chicago Dogs. The Milwaukee Milkmen trail both clubs by one game… The Lincoln Saltdogs victory moved the club within two games of the Sioux City Explorers for the final playoff spot in the West Division. Lincoln must win both of the remaining contests to earn that final playoff berth… The Kansas City Monarchs tied a franchise record by hitting their 162nd team home run on Saturday… Both Winnipeg Goldeyes right-hander Luis Ramirez and Sioux City Explorers right-hander Kevin McCanna failed in their attempt to earn their league-leading 11th victory of the season… The Sioux Falls Canaries snapped their 10-game losing streak on Saturday.
Transactions
Lincoln: Activated INF Nate Samson from the Injured List; Placed OF Randy Norris on the Injured List retroactive to August 29
Winnipeg: Placed RHP Landen Bourassa on the Inactive List retroactive to September 1; Activated LHP R.J. Martinez from the Injured List
By Robert Pannier
