Texas AirHogs Win on Correlle Prime Walk-Off Single, 5-4
In American Association Daily, Robert Pannier recaps an incredible night of baseball in the American Association, as there were six great games scheduled for Tuesday. That included a wild affair in Chicago, two late victories for the Saints and AirHogs, and Justin Vernia blanking the Goldeyes.
Correlle Prime Gives AirHogs Walk-Off Win
After watching their two run lead evaporate in the top of the ninth, the Texas AirHogs were undeterred, scoring a run in the bottom half of the inning on a Correlle Prime walk-off single to give Texas a 5-4 victory over the Cleburne Railroaders. That was one of three hits on the night for Prime, giving Texas their 10th win of the season.
Cleburne jumped out in front with single runs in both the first and second innings. In the top of the first, KC Huth led off with a base hit. With one down, he stole second before Levi Scott walked. Patrick Palmeiro followed with a base hit to right bringing home Huth to make it 1-0 Railroaders.
In the second, Angel Rosa led off the inning with his fourth home run of the season. That extended lead to two.
The Texas AirHogs came right back with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Prime singled to start the frame but Cleburne starter Patrick Mincey was able to retire the next two batters. It looked like he would get out of the inning without allowing a run until an error by the right fielder allowed Luan Chenchen to reach and Prime to come around to score to make this a one run game.

In the bottom of the third, Texas would take the lead. Mincey retired the first two batters of the inning, but Chen Junpeng kept it alive with a base hit. Dillon Thomas and Prime followed with singles to load the bases before Chen Chen walked to drive home a run, tying the game. A single by Casio Grider scored Thomas and the AirHogs had their first lead of the game.
It stayed a one run game until the eighth when Texas would extend their lead. Grider walked with one down. Two batters later, Na Chuang singled home Grider to make it 4-2.
In the ninth, Carlos Contreras came on for Texas looking to close the game out. He would retire the first batter of the frame, but Blake Grant-Parks singled before Huth struck out. With one on into down, Grant-Parks stole second and scored when Trevor Sealey singled into center. Scott followed with a base hit that sent Sealey to third and he came home on a wild pitch to tie the game at four.
To the bottom of the ninth the game went where Lu Zhenhong singled with one out to get the rally started. Thomas followed with a single bringing Prime to the plate. He fouled off the first pitch he saw, then lined a base hit into right-center, bringing Thomas home with the winning run.
Prime finished 3-5 with a run and an RBI. Thomas had 2-hits and scored a run. Three players for Cleburne had 2-hits in the game, including Grant-Parks.
Tony Rosselli Leads Dogs to 7-5 Victory over RailCats
The Chicago Dogs downed the Gary Southshore RailCats on Tuesday evening, thanks to Tony Rosselli, who hit his fourth home run of the season and drove in three in the victory. This was a wild affair early on. After a scoreless first, each team scored a run in the second. The RailCats would retake the lead in the top of the third, but Chicago came back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to give themselves their first lead of the game. Back came Gary Southshore, who scored two in the fourth and a run in the fifth to give themselves a two run edge. However, Chicago would tie the score in the bottom of the fifth on a two run blast by Rosselli. The Dogs got a sacrifice fly in the sixth by Edwin Arroyo to take the lead again and gained an insurance run on a wild pitch in the seventh in the 7-5 victory. Rosselli finished 2-5 with a run and 3-RBI.

Five Run Ninth Gives Saints 7-6 Victory Over RedHawks
The St. Paul Saints moved back into second place in the North Division, thanks to a five run ninth-inning that propelled them to a 7-6 victory. The Saints trailed by four entering the ninth-inning. Jake Smith singled to get the rally started before Max Murphy was hit by pitch. Noah Perio, Jr. singled to load the bases before Burt Reynolds drew a walk that sent Smith across the plate. A walk to Dan Johnson brought home Murphy before Dante Bichette, Jr. tied the score with a two run single. A sacrifice fly by Anthony Phillips brought home the go-ahead run. Reynolds and Justin O’Conner each homered for St. Paul, who moved a half-game behind Gary Southshore in the standings.

Canaries Fry T-Bones, 14-1
The Sioux Falls Canaries battered the Kansas City T-Bones on Tuesday night, 14-1. Maxx Garrett homered twice and drove in three to lead the onslaught. Garrett put his team on top in the top of the second with a two run homer and Sioux Falls would extend their lead to six with four in the fourth, including a three run blast by Patrick Fiala. It would be a five run Sioux Falls lead until the seventh, when the Canaries would blow it open with three in the seventh, four in the eighth, and a run in the ninth. Garrett closed out the scoring with his fourth home run of the year. Jake Esch, making his first start for the Canaries, tossed five solid innings, allowing just one run.
TJ Bennett Makes Impressive Debut in Leading Saltdogs to 11-4 Win
TJ Bennett did not remain on the free-agent market for very long, signing with the Lincoln Saltdogs, and he made the very most of his debut, hitting his first home run of the season and driving in three as Lincoln downed the Wichita Wingnuts, 11-4. With the score tied at one heading into the fourth, Lincoln would score 3 runs to take the lead. They would blow this game open in the fifth as Curt Smith hit a two run homer, his 11th of the year, and Brandon Jacobs followed with his 11th home run of the season. Bennett would add a two run shot an inning later. Kyle Kinman was impressive, allowing one run in six innings of work for the victory.

Justin Vernia Blanks Goldeyes, Explorers Win Eighth Straight, 4-0
Fresh off being named the Pointstreak Pitcher of the Week, Sioux City Explorers starter Justin Vernia blanked the Winnipeg Goldeyes for 7.1-innings in a 4-0 Explorers victory. Vernia allowed three hits and struck out nine and Ryan Florez tossed the final 1.2-innings to close out the shutout. Jay Austin led the way for the Sioux City offense, recording four hits and scoring a run. Dylan Kelly and Daniel Jackson both drove in a pair of runs. The victory was the eighth straight for Sioux City, the second time this season they have had a winning streak of as many as eight games.
By Robert Pannier