HR Roll Call: Roman Collins (8), Travis Maezes (6), Robby Rinn (6), Cristian Perez (1)

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Samir Duenez 2-3 2b, 2 RBI, BB

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Josh Staumont 7 Ip 0 H 0 R 0 ER 5 BB 8 K HBP 100p/54k 6-5 GO-FO

NW Arkansas Naturals 5 Springfield Cardinals 1

Despite a tough season, starter Josh Staumont had things working pretty well on Wednesday. The hard throwing pitcher struggled with his control, as usual, hitting the zone with just 54 of 100 pitches and walking five hitters and hitting another, but still working through seven innings. Despite those base runners, Staumont didn’t allow a hit on the night while giving up just a first inning run after a leadoff walk, a hit batsman and a sac fly. In addition to no-hitting Springfield, he struck out eight hitters, his highest total since a May 18th start with the Chasers.

The Naturals offense backed up Staumont with five runs getting a pair of RBI hits from Samir Duenez in the process.

Boxscore Link

Samir Duenez 2-3 2b, 2 RBI, BB
Donnie Dewees 1-5 R
Anderson Miller 1-4 R
Josh Staumont 7 Ip 0 H 0 R 0 ER 5 BB 8 K HBP 100p/54k 6-5 GO-FO

Frederick Keys 5 Wilmington Blue Rocks 4

A pair of Rocks two run home runs put them in a good spot, but starter Jace Vines couldn’t make them stand up with reliever Franco Terrero.

Up 4-3 after five innings Vines gave up a double and a single to start the sixth. Manager Jamie Quirk turned to Terrero but the reliever couldn’t get out of the jam, allowing a double and a single that brought in both base runners to put Wilmington behind 5-4. After giving up the lead, the Rocks went hitless to drop the game.

Boxscore Link

Brandon Downes 1-3 BB
Chris DeVito 0-3 BB
Jace Vines 5 IP 9 H 5 R 5 ER 2 BB 2 K 7-4 GO-FO 78p/50k

Lexington Legends 2 Rome Braves 1

The Legends matched Rome’s quality pitching with a solid outing by starter Ofreidy Gomez. The Dominican right-hander allowed just four hits in his six and two-third innings, hammering the zone with 58 strikes on 88 pitches. Tossing up five scoreless innings to start his outing to match Rome starter Tucker Davidson the Royals 22-year old pitcher gave up just one run.

That one run came in the sixth on a two out double allowing Gomez’s only walk on the night to come around to score. That run tied the game, but that didn’t last long as Emmanuel Rivera came home on a Manny Olloque single just one inning later. After Gomez retired two in the seventh and gave up a single reliever Matt Wynne came in and worked two and one-third innings scoreless to earn the save for Lexington.

Boxscore Link

Ofreidy Gomez 6.2 IP 4 H 1 R 1 ER 1 BB 6 K 12-2 GO-FO 88p/58k
Emmanuel Rivera 1-4 R
Gabe Cancel 0-4
Khalil Lee 0-4 2k

Ogden Raptors 13 Idaho Falls Chukars 8

The Chukars first two pitchers on the night struggled to limit Ogden’s offense on this night, giving up 15 hits and 13 runs. Starter Dillon Drabble gave up 10 hits in five and two-third innings while allowing 10 runs (7 ER) in that time.

The Chukars offense had twelve hits and six walks of their own but left 10 runners on base in falling short with eight runs of their own.

Boxscore Link

Travis Jones 2-4 2R
Matt Morales 3-5 R, 3b, RBI
Brewer Hicklen 1-4 R, BB

Princeton Rays 12 Burlington Royals 1

The Royals starter and first reliever on the mound got significantly roughed up by the Rays on this night, allowing 17 hits and 12 runs in six innings. The Royals gave up nine extra base hits among the 20 hits allowed on the night including seven doubles, going 8 for 21 with runners in scoring position.

While the Rays were rocking Royals pitching the home squad was connecting on just one extra base hit while scoring just one run on the night.

Boxscore Link

Seuly Matias 2-4
Sebastian Rivera 2-4 R
Jeison Guzman 2-4 2K

AZL Royals 5 AZL Brewers 3

The Royals gave up a couple runs early but came on strong late to earn a win. Trailing 2-0 into the fifth, shortstop Cristian Perez connected on his first home run of the season to tie it up. The Royals scored again in the sixth with a leadoff double Jose Caraballo and coming in on a double play to take the lead. Runs in the seventh and the eighth innings pushed the lead up to 5-2 all while Randy Acevedo was spinning the final six innings with just one run allowed on the night to earn the win.

Boxscore Link

Randy Acevedo 6 IP 5 H 1 R 1 ER 2 BB 2 K
Evan Steele 1.1 IP 2 H 2 R 1 ER 1 Bb 2 K 3-0 GO-FO
Isaiah Henry 3-4 2R, SB
Cristian Perez 1-4 HR, 2 RBI

Game 1 DSL Dodgers1 7 DSL Royals 4
Game 2 DSL Royals 3 DSL Dodgers1 2

The Royals split a doubleheader with the Dodgers, getting quality relief work over the final three innings by Wilmer Jimenez. The Royals used those three innings to tie the game, getting a triple by Rubendy Jaquez to leadoff the sixth and scoring on a sac fly before walking off the game in the seventh on a sac fly by Kember Nacero.

In the first game, the Royals lost a two run lead after three innings when the Dodgers plated four runs with the help of three walks and a hit batter prior to a pair of doubles. The Royals kept answering with single run innings while the Dodgers plated another three runs.

Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

Wilmer Jimenez 3 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 6 K 3-0 GO-FO
Kember Nacero 0-2 RBI
Rubendy Jacquez 4-7 R, 3b, RBI

HR Roll Call: Cheslor Cuthbert (4), Gabe Cancel (12), Emmanuel Rivera (11), Marten Gasparini (9), Brady Cox (1)

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Cheslor Cuthbert 2-5, 2R, 2b, HR, 2 RBI

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Garrett Davila 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 9-2 GO-FO, 89/48 p/k

Omaha Storm Chasers 7, Sacramento River Cats 1 

The Chasers bullpen quartet led the way in Papillion to another win. Former starter Brian Flynn kept the Giants Triple-A bats off tune for his 4.1 innings, as the lefty struck out seven against just one hit allowed. Third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert hit a two-run home run in the first frame to give Omaha all the runs they would need after relievers Seth Manness, Eric Stout, and Kevin McCarthy put nothing but zeroes on the board. Fortunately for the pitching staff, the Chasers offense put five more runs put on the board with Cam Gallagher contributing with a two-run single.

Outfielder Logan Moon continued his hot Triple-A hitting with a 3 for 4 night that included a double and a triple.

Boxscore Link

Raul Mondesi 0-3, K
Cheslor Cuthbert 2-5, 2R, HR, 2b, 2 RBI
Jorge Soler 1-2, R, 2b, 2 BB
Cam Gallagher 2-4, 2R, 2b, 2 RBI

Springfield Cardinals 5, NW Arkansas Naturals 3

The Naturals Emilio Ogando got roughed up in his five innings, allowing eight hits including four that went for extra bases to take his eighth defeat at Double-A. The NW Arkansas offense was held scoreless by Springfield starter Chris Ellis in his seven innings and didn’t dent the board until the ninth when they scored three times, but ultimately came up short.

Boxscore Link

Hunter Dozier 1-3, BB
Paulo Orlando 1-3
Samir Duenez 1-4, R, RBI, 2 K
Nicky Lopez 1-4, SB (20)
Donnie Dewees 0-4, K

Wilmington Blue Rocks 3, Frederick Keys 2

A pair of relievers that started their seasons in Lexington led the Rocks to a comeback win over Frederick. After Colin Rodgers gave up a pair of runs in the second and Wilmington answered with one on their side, reliever Walker Sheller took over and gave the offense time to work. The former Stetson pitcher worked 3.1 innings and gave up just two singles and a walk.

With Sheller tossing zeros on the board, shortstop Jeckkson Flores was helping out on the offensive side. He doubled and scored on a D.J. Burt single in the fifth before walking and scoring on a Nick Heath single in the seventh. From there, reliever Grant Gavin did the rest, working two perfect innings with four strikeouts to close the game and earn his eighth save between Lexington and Wilmington.

Boxscore Link

Nick Heath 3-4, RBI, CS (5)
Brandon Downes 0-3, BB
D.J. Burt 1-3, RBI

Lexington Legends 9, Hickory Crawdads 1 

The Legends bats got rocking, and starter Garret Davila put together one of his best starts of the season, rolling to a win in Hickory. The lefty Davila spun six shutout innings, allowing just one hit and two walks earning nine groundouts along the way.

The Legends offense rewarded Davila with nine runs, eight of which came via three home runs. Infielder Gabe Cancel connected on his twelfth home run of the year to break the scoreless tie in the fourth. Just two hitters later, his second base partner John Brontsema doubled home Meibrys Viloria to push the Lexington lead to 3-0. An inning later Emmanuel Rivera hit his eleventh home run of the season to bring in Khalil Lee and Angelo Castellano. After reliever Ofreidy Gomez gave up a run, Marten Gasparini capped the game’s scoring with a three-run home run in the ninth.

The home run for Cancel was his seventh of the second half, pushing his line to .356/.400/.701 in the 22 games he’s played since the break.

Boxscore Link

Khalil Lee 2-5, R, 3b
Gabe Cancel 1-4, HR, 2 RBI
Emmanuel Rivera 2-5, HR, 3 RBI
Marten Gasparini 1-4, HR, 3 RBI
Garrett Davila 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 9-2 GO-FO, 89/48 p/k

Idaho Falls Chukars 7, Great Falls Voyagers 1 F/10

The Chukars received perhaps their best team pitching performance of the season with three pitchers combining for 10 innings of one run baseball. Starter Dillon Drabble got it started by tossing five shutout innings in just his second Pioneer League start, striking out three and working around five hits and a walk. The Chukars gave him a lead in the sixth inning when Travis Jones drove in Matt Morales after his leadoff double.

That lead held up until the eighth when Geoffrey Bramblett gave up a run after working two scoreless innings. The Alabama product would work another inning without allowing anything which would allow the Chukars offense to bust things up in extras. In the tenth, an error by Great Falls allowed Idaho Falls to take the lead but the Chukars didn’t stop there. Two hits and a sac fly put three more runs on the board before Logan Gray doubled in two more to push the score to eventual final 7-1 tally.

Boxscore Link

Travis Jones 2-5, R, 2 RBI, 2 SB (9)
Matt Morales 1-4, 2R, 2b

Burlington Royals 4, Elizabethton Twins 1

Royals third round pick Dan Tillo picked up his first professional win by tossing five shutout innings on 65 pitches for Burlington. The left-handed starter only struck out two hitters against three singles and a walk, but he kept balls on the infield with eight groundouts.

Infielder Jeison Guzman got a pair of hits and scored twice to lead the offense, while the bottom three hitters in the lineup drove in three of the four Royals runs in the win.

Boxscore Link

Jeison Guzman 2-3, 2R, BB, SB (3)
Seuly Matias 1-4, RBI
Michael Gigliott 0-4, R, BB, SB (14)
Sebastian Rivera 1-4, RBI, 1-1 CS/Att

AZL Dodgers 5, AZL Royals 3

The Royals lost their fourth game in a row despite Malcolm Van Buren tossing his high inning total for the season. The right-handed former N.C. State commit worked 4.2 innings while allowing three runs on three hits and three walks. While those numbers aren’t all that impressive, Van Buren did strikeout a season-high six hitters.

The game was tied at three into the eighth inning, but a two-run home run by Marcus Chiu off Royals reliever Randy Acevedo put the game out of reach.

Boxscore Link

Angel Media 2-4, R
Brewer Hicklen 1-4, R, CS (2)
Malcolm Van Buren 4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 4-2 GO-FO

DSL A’s 3 DSL Royals 2

The Superman kept his outstanding season going, working five more scoreless innings on Thursday. This pushed Delvin Capellan’s scoreless streak to 22 innings which top the 20 inning streak he had to start his season. The righty struck out five hitters, allowed just his second walk of the season and worked around a pair of defensive errors. The offense took a fifth inning lead but the bullpen couldn’t hold it, allowing three runs in the seventh to fall to the A’s again.

Boxscore Link

Delvin Capellan 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 6-2 GO-FO
Reynin Reynoso 0-2, BB
Kember Nacero 1-5, 4K, SB