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: Amalani Fukofuka (3), Ricky Aracena (1), Darrell Miller (1)

BPKC Hitter of the Day: Ricky Aracena 3-4, 4R, 3b, HR, RBI, BB, SB 

BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Wilmer Jimenez 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 0-2 GO-FO

Draft Update – Coach Rima of Kirkwood Community College updated the profile on Royals 19th round draft pick Korry Howell. He stated that Howell is extremely athletic with tremendous range and a knack for running the bases. They personally have timed him at 4.2 seconds to first from the right side with his 6.4 speed in the 60 yard dash.

That speed isn’t the only tool Howell brings to the table, with an arm that he’s measured at 88-90 mph across the diamond from shortstop and tremendous range one would expect out of a player with that speed. On top of the speed, Howell features bat speed that Rima believes will carry well as he fills out and adds more strength later.

Should Howell determine to pass on the Royals, the shortstop has several upper level Division I offers waiting for him at the end of next season.

Iowa Cubs 6, Omaha Storm Chasers 4

The Chasers pitching struggles continued Tuesday afternoon in Des Moines.

Starting pitcher Jon Dziedzic gave up three longballs which accounted for four Iowa runs in his five innings. The lefty gave up five hits, with the three with the home runs coming in the second and third frames. Reliever Seth Manness gave up a couple more runs in his inning of work while allowing four hits before the rest of the pen quieted things down.

The six runs were too much for an offense that went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position. The four runs on the board for Omaha came via a pair of outs and a couple of errant pitches.

Boxscore Link

Bubba Starling 2-5, 2b
Frank Schwindel 4-4, R, 2-2b
Eric Stout 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 13p/11k

NW Arkansas Naturals 3, Arkansas Travelers 1

The Royals 2014 1st round pick Foster Griffin kept the train that is his stellar ’17 season moving on Tuesday night.

The lefty improved his overall record to 8-3 while pushing his Double-A mark to 4-1 with another quality outing. In this one, Griffin spread out seven hits, all singles, and a walk over 6.2 innings but limited the Angels Double-A squad to just one run. The six strikeouts that Griffin spun helped him around those baserunners along with three additional runners thanks to errors the defense committed behind him.

The offense banged out 10 hits of their own, getting single runs in first on a single by Humberto Arteaga and another in the second on a Jack Lopez single. Second baseman Corey Toups brought home Lopez in the fifth on his second hit of the night to increase the Naturals lead to 3-0.

The bullpen of Pedro Fernandez and Andrew Edwards put away four hitters with strikeouts over the final 2.1 innings to finish off the win.

Boxscore Link

Foster Griffin 6.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 7-7 GO-FO, 97p/67k
Corey Toups 2-4, R, RBI
Pedro Fernandez 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 20p/14k

Grand Junction Rockies 17, Idaho Falls Chukars 11

The Chukars lost a good ol’ fashioned Pioneer League slugfest in their second game in Grand Junction.

The Rockies outpaced them 23 hits to 15 with seven extra base hits and 11 total hits with runners in scoring position. Starter Julio Pinto gave up nine hits and nine runs (6 ER) in just three innings before Randy Acevedo slowed things down with just a run allowed over four frames.

That outing got Idaho Falls back in the game as the offense was allowed to pull within a run at 9-8. Seven runs off reliever Garrettson Harris in the eighth ended any chances at a comeback.

Boxscore Link

Amalani Fukofuka 2-5, 2R, HR, 3 RBI
Darrell Miller 3-4, HR, 3 RBI
Jon McCray 3-3, 2R, RBI, CS

DSL Royals 6, DSL Red Sox 2

Another well pitched affair by the DSL Royals in a win over the Red Sox.

Starter Wilmer Jimenez worked five shutout innings allowing just three hits, while the left-handed pitcher put away seven via the strikeout. Four additional pitchers finished the game.

The offense had staked the club to a 3-0 lead with a three-run second that featured a pair of doubles by Felix Familia and Rafael Romero. Two more scored in the sixth, one via a Familia single, before a bases-loaded walk in the eighth brought home the final run.

Boxscore Link

Felix Familia 2-3, R, 2b, RBI
Hector Pineda 1-3, R, 2 RBI, BB
Wilmer Jimenez 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 0-2 GO-FO