Games of April 29

Aaron Hicks and James Beresford lead the Red Wings to victory.  D. J. Baxendale's pitching a some late runs win it for the Lookouts.  Mat Batts pitched well early but faltered late as the Kernels get shut out.

ROCHESTER 5, COLUMBUS 3 IN ROCHESTER

Batting stars:  Aaron Hicks was 1-for-3 with a triple and a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  James Beresford was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Pitching stars:  James Wheeler pitched 7.1 innings, giving up three runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks with three strikeouts.  A. J. Achter pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up one hit while striking out one.

Opposition stars:  Francisco Lindor was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.  Tyler Holt was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.

The game:  Hicks tripled in a run and later scored in a three-run third that put the Red Wings up 3-0.  It stayed 3-0 until the eighth, when the Clippers tied the game on only two hits, aided by two walks and an error.  The Red Wings bounced right back in the bottom of the eighth as Beresford came through with a two-out two-run single to give them a 5-3 advantage.  Achter gave up a two-out single in the ninth but was otherwise unscathed.

Of note:  Eddie Rosario was 0-for-4 with an RBI.  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 0-for-2 with two walks and a run.  Josmil Pinto was 1-for-4.  Danny Ortiz was 1-for-4 with a double and a run.

CHATTANOOGA 3, TENNESSEE 1 IN TENNESSEE

Batting stars:  Carlos Paulino was 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.  Adam Brett Walker II was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.  Byron Buxton was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.

Pitching stars:  D. J. Baxendale struck out eight in 6.1 innings, giving up one run on five hits and a walk.  Jake Reed struck out two in 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up a hit and two walks.  Zack Jones struck out two in a perfect inning.

Opposition stars:  Ryan Dent was 1-for-2 with a double and a walk.  Felix Pena struck out seven in seven innings, giving up one run on four hits and two walks.

The game:  There were no hits by either side until the third.  The Smokies put men on second and third with one out in that inning, but were thwarted by a pair of strikeouts.  In the bottom of the inning, Buxton singled, stole second, and scored on a pair of infield outs.  It stayed 1-0 until the seventh, when Willson Contreras doubled, went to third on Stephen Bruno's single, and scored on a squeeze bunt.  In the eighth Walker II's RBI double and a run-scoring single by Paulino put the Lookouts up 3-1.  The Smokies went down in order in the ninth.

Of note:  Jorge Polanco was 1-for-4.  Dalton Hicks was 1-for-3 with a walk.  Miguel Sano was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Max Kepler was 0-for-4.

FORT MYERS MIRACLE

No game scheduled.

QUAD CITIES 4, CEDAR RAPIDS 0 IN QUAD CITIES

Batting stars:  T. J. White was 3-for-4.  Zach Granite was 2-for-3.  Zach Larson was 1-for-3 with a walk.

Pitching star:  C. K. Irby retired all five men he faced, striking out two.

Opposition stars:  Jacob Nottingham was 2-for-3 with a run.  Daniel Mengden pitched five shutout innings, allowing three hits and two walks with three strikeouts.  Austin Chrismon pitched four shutout innings, allowing four hits and two walks.

The game:  It was scoreless through five, but the River Bandits scored two in the sixth and two in the seventh to take control of the game.  The eighth inning was the only time the Kernels got a man past second base.

Of note:  Nick Gordon was 0-for-4.  Trey Vavra was 1-for-4.  Mat Batts struck out six in 6.1 innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits and a walk.

TODAY'S TILTS

10:00  Columbus (TBA) at Rochester (Mark Hamburger, 0-1, 7.71)
6:05    Charlotte (TBA) at Fort Myers (Chih-Wei Hu, 2-0, 1.50)
6:15    Jacksonville (TBA) at Chattanooga (Alex Wimmers, 0-0, 8.68)
7:00    Cedar Rapids (TBA) at Quad Cities (TBA--Austin Chrismon is listed, but as he pitched four innings last night that seems unlikely)

Games of April 28

Alex Meyer doesn't walk anybody, but it doesn't do him much good.  Miguel Sano makes an unsuccessful return to the lineup.  No clutch hitting for the Miracle.  Cedar Rapids provides the only joy, winning a pitchers' duel in eleven innings.

COLUMBUS 5, ROCHESTER 3 IN ROCHESTER

Batting stars:  Eddie Rosario was 2-for-4 with a home run, his third.  Danny Ortiz was 1-for-3 with a home run (his third) and a walk.

Pitching stars:  Ryan Pressly struck out four in two perfect innings.  Stephen Pryor struck out three in 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and a walk.  Logan Darnell pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Tyler Holt was 3-for-4 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Nick Swisher, on a rehab assignment, was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.  Shaun Marcum pitched six innings, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  Swisher doubled in two runs in the third to put the Clippers up 2-0.  In the fourth, the Clippers went double, single, double, single to plate three runs and make it 5-0.  Homers by Rosario and Ortiz made it 5-2 in the sixth and the Red Wings added another run in the seventh, but they did not get the tying run on base.

Of note:  Aaron Hicks was 1-for-4 with a double and a walk, scoring once.  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 0-for-4.  Josmil Pinto was 1-for-4.  Alex Meyer pitched five innings, giving up five runs on nine hits and no walks with two strikeouts.

TENNESSEE 7, CHATTANOOGA 6 IN TENNESSEE

Batting stars:  Dalton Hicks was 2-for-4 with a home run (his third) and a walk, driving in four.  Adam Brett Walker II was 1-for-1 with a double and four walks, scoring twice.  Mike Gonzales was 2-for-5 with a home run (his second) and a double.

Pitching star:  Cole Johnson struck out three in three innings, giving up one run on two hits.

Opposition stars:  Kyle Schwarber was 2-for-3 with a home run (his fourth) and a double, driving in three.  Jacob Hanneman was 3-for-4 with a home run and two runs.  Bijan Rademacher was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and two runs.

The game:  Trailing 5-3, the Lookouts scored three times in the sixth to take a 6-5 lead.  Gonzales led off the inning with a home run, a double and two walks loaded the bases, and a two-run single by Hicks put the Lookouts in front.  Schwarber doubled in a run to tie it 6-6 in the seventh.  In the eighth, Rademacher led off the inning with a single-plus-error, reaching third, and scored on Elliot Soto's RBI single.  The Lookouts left the bases loaded in the seventh but did not get a hit after that.

Of note:  Byron Buxton was 1-for-3 with two walks, scoring twice and driving in one.  Jorge Polanco was 1-for-4 with a walk.  Miguel Sano was 0-for-5.  Greg Peavey lasted four innings, giving up five runs on eight hits and a walk with one strikeout.

PALM BEACH 3, FORT MYERS 1 IN FORT MYERS

Batting stars:  Bryan Haar was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.  Logan Wade was 2-for-4 with a double.  Mitch Garver was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.

Pitching stars:  Aaron Slegers pitched eight innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk with four strikeouts.  Alexis Tapia pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Luke Voit was 2-for-4 with a home run (his second) and a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Rob Kaminsky pitched five innings, allowing one run on four hits and four walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  With two out in the first, a walk, a double, and an error put the Cardinals ahead 2-0.  The Miracle got one back in the bottom of the first, but had the bases loaded with none out and did not score.  Voit homered in the third to make it 3-1 and that was it for the scoring.  The Miracle stranded men in scoring position in the third, fourth, fifth, and eighth, going 1-for-10 with men in scoring position for the game.

Of note:  Niko Goodrum was 0-for-2 with two walks and a run.

CEDAR RAPIDS 1, QUAD CITIES 0 IN QUAD CITIES (11 INNINGS)

Batting star:  Zack Larson was 2-for-4 with a triple and a run.

Pitching stars:  Jared Wilson pitched five shutout innings, giving up four hits and four walks with two strikeouts.  Randy LeBlanc struck out three in three shutout innings, giving up two hits.  Cameron Booser struck out three in two shutout innings, giving up two hits and two walks.

Opposition stars:  Mott Hyde was 3-for-5 with a double.  Starter Brian Radziewski pitched five shutout innings, allowing two hits and no walks with four strikeouts.  Joe Musgrove pitched six innings of relief, giving up one run on four hits and no walks with one strikeout.

The game:  Each team missed a good chance in the first inning, as the Kernels left the bases loaded and the River Bandits stranded men on second and third.  The River Bandits also left men on second and third in the third and fourth innings, while the Kernels got a man to third in the seventh and eighth.  Finally, in the eleventh, Larson led off with a single, went to second on a bunt, took third on an error and scored on T. J. White's sacrifice fly.  The River Bandits got a man on with one out in the bottom of the eleventh, but a double play ended the game.

Of note:  Zach Granite was 1-for-5.  Nick Gordon was 1-for-5.  Trey Vavra was 0-for-4.  Max Murphy was 0-for-4.

TODAY'S TILTS

11:00  Chattanooga (D. J. Baxendale, 2-0, 0.95) at Tennessee (Felix Pena, 2-0, 1.53)
5:35  Columbus (Toru Murata, 0-0, 4.00) at Rochester (Jason Wheeler, 0-1, 6.19)
7:00  Cedar Rapids (Mat Batts, 2-0, 1.47) at Quad Cities (Daniel Mengden, 1-1, 2.84)
Fort Myers has no game scheduled.

Players of the Week: Week of April 20-26, 2015

Zach Granite is honored for the second consecutive week.

ROCHESTER

Batter:  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 9-for-19 with three doubles, two triples, and three walks.  For the season he is hitting .345/.400/.491 in 55 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Alex Meyer struck out eleven in six innings, giving up no runs on two hits and three walks.  For the season he is 1-0, 4.91, 1.84 WHIP with 20 strikeouts in 14.2 innings.

CHATTANOOGA

Batter:  Dalton Hicks was 9-for-24 with two doubles, a triple, two home runs, and six walks.  For the season he is hitting .380/.475/.640 in 50 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Adrian Salcedo pitched six innings in two relief appearances, giving up no runs on three hits and no walks with six strikeouts.  For the season he is 0-0, 1.38, 1.08 WHIP with 10 strikeouts in 13 innings.

FORT MYERS

Batter:  Logan Wade was 5-for-16 with a double, a walk, and a stolen base.  For the season he is hitting .238/.273/.381 in 42 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Tim Shibuya pitched six innings in two relief appearances, giving up no runs on one hit and no walks with nine strikeouts.  For the season he is 0-0, 0.77, 0.86 WHIP with 12 strikeouts in 11.2 innings.

CEDAR RAPIDS

Batter:  Zach Granite was 9-for-24 with a double, a triple, four walks, and three stolen bases.  For the season he is hitting .364/.485/.473 and is 6-for-7 in stolen bases in 55 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Stephen Gonsalves pitched seven innings, giving up no runs on one hit and one walk with eleven strikeouts.  For the season he is 2-0, 0.90, 0.65 WHIP with 30 strikeouts in 20 innings.

Games of April 27

Home runs and Taylor Rogers carry the Red Wings.  Jose Berrios gets back on track.  The Miracle plays its third extra-inning game in four days.  Twins affiliates sweep!

ROCHESTER 6, COLUMBUS 1 IN ROCHESTER

Batting stars:  Doug Bernier was 2-for-5 with a two-run homer.  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk.  Jose Martinez was 3-for-4 with a double and a run.

Pitching stars:  Taylor Rogers pitched eight innings, giving up one run on two hits and four walks with four strikeouts.  A. J. Achter struck out two in a perfect inning.

Opposition stars:  Destin Hood was 1-for-3 with a triple and a run.  C. C. Lee struck out two in 1.2 scoreless innings, allowing one hit.

The game:  Hood tripled and scored in the fifth to put the Clippers up 1-0, but the Red Wings bounced back with four in the bottom of the fifth.  Bernier and Rodriguez each hit a two-run homer with two out in the inning.  The Clippers only got one hit after that and their last ten batters were retired.

Of note:  Eddie Rosario was 2-for-4 with a run.  Josmil Pinto was 0-for-4.  Brock Peterson was 1-for-4 with a home run, his fourth.  Danny Ortiz was 2-for-4.

CHATTANOOGA 5, TENNESSEE 3 IN TENNESSEE

Batting stars:  Stephen Wickens was 1-for-2 with a double and two walks, scoring once and driving in two.  Adam Brett Walker II was 1-for-5 with a two-run homer, his fifth.  Byron Buxton was 2-for-4 with a walk and a run.

Pitching stars:  Jose Berrios pitched six innings, giving up one run on two hits and four walks with five strikeouts.  Jake Reed pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout.  Zack Jones pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a walk.

Opposition stars:  Kyle Schwarber was 2-for-3 with a home run (his third) and a walk.  Ryan Dent was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, his second.  Jeffry Antigua struck out three in three shutout innings, allowing one hit.

The game:  Wickens' two-run double in the third put the Lookouts up 2-0.  Walker II hit a two-run homer in the fifth to make it 4-0.  The Smokies came back, though, getting on the board with Schwarber's home run in the sixth and scoring twice in the seventh on Dent's two-run shot to make it 4-3.  A single and three walks produced an insurance run for the Lookouts in the eighth. The Smokies did not get a hit after the seventh inning.

Of note:  Dalton Hicks was 0-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.  Max Kepler was 1-for-4 with a triple.  Miguel Sano has not played since Saturday.  Reportedly he's being held out while he works on a mechanical adjustment to his swing.

FORT MYERS 5, PALM BEACH 4 (11 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Marcus Knecht was 2-for-4 with a double and a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Alex Swim was 3-for-5 with a walk and an RBI.  Bryan Haar was 2-for-5 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.

Pitching stars:  Alex Muren pitched two shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk.  Brian Gilbert pitched two shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk with one strikeout.  Tim Shibuya pitched two perfect innings with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Mason Katz was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.  Bruce Caldwell was 1-for-3 with two walks and a run.  Alex Reyes struck out eight in 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks.

The game:  A triple, three singles, a walk, and a sacrifice fly plated four runs for the Cardinals and put them ahead 4-0 in the fourth.  It stayed 4-0 until the seventh, when the Miracle had a four-run inning of their own.  Haar, Engelb Vielma, and Swim each had an RBI single in the inning, with another run scoring on a wild pitch.  It remained 4-4 until the eleventh, when Swim's one-out single was followed by three consecutive walks to produce the winning run.

Of note:  Vielma was 1-for-5 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Mitch Garver was 0-for-4 with two walks.  Luke Westphal pitched four innings, giving up four runs on six hits and one walk with one strikeout.

CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS

No game scheduled.

TODAY'S TILTS

11:00  Cedar Rapids (Jared Wilson, 2-0, 2.38) at Quad Cities (Bryan Radziewski, 1-0, 2.77)
5:35    Columbus (TBA) at Rochester (Alex Meyer, 1-0, 4.91)
6:05    Chattanooga (Greg Peavey, 1-1, 8.59) at Tennessee (Ivan Pineyro, 1-0, 4.02)
6:05    Palm Beach (Rob Kaminsky, 1-0, 1.38) at Fort Myers (Aaron Slegers, 1-1, 4.91)

Games of April 26

Another strong performance by Pat Dean.  Tyler Duffey pitched four strong innings, then was singled to death in the fifth.  Not much offense for the Miracle.  A good rehab start for Ricky Nolasco.

ROCHESTER 6, SYRACUSE 4 IN ROCHESTER

Batting stars:  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 1-for-2 with a triple and two walks, scoring once and driving in two.  Josmil Pinto was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI.  James Beresford was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

Pitching star:  Pat Dean pitched eight innings, giving up one run on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Cutter Dykstra was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer.  Mark Minicozzi was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, scoring once.  Sam Runion pitched three shutout innings, giving up one hit with two strikeouts.

The game:  Jose Martinez had a two-run single in a four-run third that put the Red Wings up 4-0.  The Chiefs scored once in the top of the fourth but Rodriguez tripled in two in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-1 after four.  It stayed 6-1 until the ninth, when the Chiefs got three runs but did not bring the tying run up to bat.

Of note:  Aaron Hicks was 1-for-4 with a walk and two runs.  Eddie Rosario was 0-for-4.  Danny Ortiz was 0-for-4 with a run.

TENNESSEE 5, CHATTANOOGA 2 IN TENNESSEE

Batting stars:  Dalton Hicks was 1-for-3 with a home run (his second) and a walk.  Travis Harrison was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.

Pitching star:  Adrian Salcedo struck out three in three shutout innings, giving up one hit.

Opposition stars:  Stephen Bruno was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.  Albert Almora was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.  Frank Batista struck out eight in seven innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks.

The game:  It was 1-1 after four, but the Smokies put it out of reach with four in the fifth.  They put together five singles and a walk in the inning.

Of note:  Byron Buxton was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Jorge Polanco was 1-for-4.  Adam Brett Walker II was 1-for-4 with a double.  Tyler Duffey struck out six in five innings, giving up five runs on eight hits and a walk.

PALM BEACH 4, FORT MYERS 2 IN PALM BEACH

Batting stars:  Marcus Knecht was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.  Tanner Vavra was 1-for-2 with a walk.

Pitching stars:  Dereck Rodriguez struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up one hit and two walks.  Madison Boer pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up only a walk.

Opposition stars:  C. J. McElroy was 4-for-4 with two runs.  Carson Kelly was 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs.  Jimmy Reed pitched a complete game, giving up two runs on seven hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

The game:  Luke Voit singled in a run in the third.  In the fifth, four singles produced three runs for a 4-0 Cardinals lead.  In the sixth, Logan Wade singled in a run and Knecht doubled in another, cutting the lead to 4-2 and putting the tying run in scoring position, but the Miracle did not get another hit until there were two out in the ninth.

Of note:  Niko Goodrum was 0-for-4.  Jason Kanzler was 1-for-4 with a run.  Wade was 1-for-4 with an RBI.  Mitch Garver was 1-for-4.  Brett Lee pitched five innings, giving up four runs on eleven hits and no walks with four strikeouts.

KANE COUNTY 3, CEDAR RAPIDS 2 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Batting stars:  Tanner English was 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs.  Zach Granite was 2-for-4 with a walk.

Pitching stars:  Ricky Nolasco struck out five in five innings, giving up an unearned run on three hits and no walks.  Zach Tillery pitched two shutout innings, giving up a walk with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Jeferson Mejia pitched 4.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits and four walks with two strikeouts.  Ethan Elias struck out four in three shutout innings, allowing three hits and a walk.

The game:  It was tied 1-1 after six, but in the seventh Fernery Ozuna doubled in a run and scored on a pair of wild pitches to put the Cougars ahead 3-1.  English homered in the ninth and two walks put men on first and second with two out, but a ground out ended the game.

Of note:  Nick Gordon was 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.  Zack Larson was 0-for-3 with two walks.  Trey Vavra was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Max Murphy was 1-for-4 with a walk.

TODAY'S TILTS

5:35  Columbus (Nick Maronde, 0-2, 4.80) at Rochester (Taylor Rogers, 1-0, 2.37)
6:05  Chattanooga (Jose Berrios, 1-1, 3.94) at Tennessee (Corey Black, 1-0, 1.80)
6:05  Palm Beach (Alex Reyes, 1-1, 2.40) at Fort Myers (Luke Westphal, 0-1, 5.40)
Cedar Rapids--no game scheduled.

Games of April 25

Lester Oliveros leads the Red Wings to a split.  The Lookouts lose a slugfest.  Free baseball is unkind to the Miracle.  The bats were silent as the Kernels were swept.

SYRACUSE 5, ROCHESTER 4 IN ROCHESTER (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Danny Ortiz was 2-for-3 with a two-run homer (his second) and a walk.  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk, scoring once.  Jose Martinez was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

Pitching stars:  None.

Opposition stars:  Michael Taylor was 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.  Kila Ka'aihue was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Matt den Decker was 2-for-4 with a run.

The game:  Ortiz hit a two-run homer in a three-run fourth to give the Red Wings a 4-1 lead.  It stayed 4-1 until the sixth, when the Chiefs had the bases loaded with two out and came up with three consecutive singles, producing four runs and giving them a 5-4 advantage.  The Red Wings loaded the bases in the sixth and put the tying run third in the seventh, but could not score.

Of note:  Aaron Hicks was 1-for-3 with an RBI.  Eddie Rosario was 1-for-4.  Josmil Pinto was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Brock Peterson was 1-for-4 with a run.  Starter Mark Hamburger pitched 5.1 innings, giving up three runs on five hits and five walks with four strikeouts.

ROCHESTER 5, SYRACUSE 2 IN ROCHESTER (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Doug Bernier was 3-for-4 with an RBI.  Aaron Hicks was 1-for-3 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.

Pitching stars:  Lester Oliveros struck out nine in four shutout innings, giving up one hit and no walks.  Logan Darnell pitched two shutout innings, giving up two hits and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Dan Butler was 1-for-1 with a walk and an RBI.  Mitch Lively pitched two shutout innings, giving up a walk and a hit with one strikeout.

The game:  The Red Wings scored single runs in the first and third and got three in the fourth to put the game out of reach.  The three-run inning was aided by two walks, an error, and a hit batsman.  Oliveros struck out the first four batters of the game and also had a stretch where he struck out three in a row.

Of note:  Eddie Rosario was 0-for-4.  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 1-for-4 with an RBI.  Danny Ortiz was 1-for-3 with a double and a run.

TENNESSEE 16, CHATTANOOGA 10 IN TENNESSEE

Batting stars:  Byron Buxton was 2-for-5 with a home run (his second), scoring twice and driving in four.  Jorge Polanco was 2-for-5 with a home run (his third) and a double.  Levi Michael was 2-for-4 with a home run (his second) and three runs.

Pitching stars:  None.

Opposition stars:  Dan Vogelbach was 3-for-3 with a home run (his third) and two walks, scoring three times and driving in three.  Pin-Chieh Chen was 3-for-5 with a double and three runs.  Stephen Bruno was 1-for-5 with a grand slam.

The game:  Buxton hit a three-run homer in a five-run fourth that put the Lookouts ahead 6-3.  In the fifth, though, Bruno hit a grand slam to cap a six-run inning for the Smokies that put them up 9-6.  Polanco hit a two-run homer in a four-run sixth that gave the Lookouts a 10-9 lead, but the Smokies came back to score three in their half of the sixth to grab a 12-10 advantage.  The Lookouts got only one hit after that and a four-run eighth put the game away for the Smokies.

Of note:  Miguel Sano was 1-for-5 with a double.  Dalton Hicks was 1-for-4 with a home run and a walk.  Adam Brett Walker II was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Max Kepler was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Starter Alex Wimmers pitched 4.1 innings, giving up nine runs on ten hits and three walks with two strikeouts.

ST. LUCIE 4, FORT MYERS 3 IN ST. LUCIE (11 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Alex Swim was 3-for-5 with a run.  Chad Christensen was 1-for-5 with a home run.

Pitching star:  Ryan Eades pitched six innings, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Michael Conforto was 3-for-5 with a two-run homer (his fifth), a double, and a walk, scoring twice.  Jeff McNeil was 2-for-5 with a double and two runs.  Rob Whalen pitched 7.2 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

The game:  The Miracle scored single runs in the second and fourth and then Christensen homered in the sixth to give them a 3-0 lead.  Conforto hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth and Victor Cruzado's RBI double in the ninth tied the game at 3-3.  Matt Oberste singled in the winning run in the eleventh.

Of note:  Niko Goodrum was 1-for-5.  Aderlin Mejia was 0-for-4.

KANE COUNTY 6, CEDAR RAPIDS 1 IN CEDAR RAPIDS (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Tyler Kuresa was 2-for-3.  Zach Granite was 1-for-2 with a walk.

Pitching star:  Samuel Clay struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up two walks.

Opposition stars:  Fernery Ozuna was 2-for-4 with a triple, scoring once and driving in two.  Cody Regis was 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs.  Brent Jones pitched six innings, allowing one run on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

The game:  Victor Reyes had an RBI triple and later scored in a three-run fourth that put the Cougars ahead 4-1.  The Cougars added two in the seventh on Ozuna's two-run triple.

Of note:  Nick Gordon was 1-for-2 with a double.  Trey Vavra was 0-for-3.  Max Murphy was 0-for-3.  Michael Cederoth pitched four innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on eight hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

KANE COUNTY 2, CEDAR RAPIDS 1 IN CEDAR RAPIDS (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Nick Gordon was 1-for-3 with a double and a run.  Zach Granite was 1-for-2 with a walk.

Pitching stars:  Felix Jorge pitched six innings, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk with five strikeouts.  Miles Nordgren pitched a perfect inning.

Opposition stars:  Marty Herum was 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.  Jared Miller pitched 5.1 innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  A walk, a hit batsman, and Herum's two-out double in the fourth produced both Cougar runs.  The lone Kernel run came in the sixth on doubles by Gordon and Trey Vavra.  The tying run was on second with two out, but the last four Kernels were retired.

Of note:  Zack Larson was 0-for-3.  Vavra was 1-for-3 with a double.