Diamonds in the the Rough 8.25

2-4 day by Royals affiliates.  HR Roll Call Max Ramirez (15) Rainier Bello (7)

Pine Tar Press Hitter of the Day Justin Trapp 3-4 R, 2 RBI

Nate Adcock

Pine Tar Press Pitcher of the Day Nate Adcock 7 IP 6 H 1 R 1 ER 2 BB 4 K 

Pine Tar Press Rookie League Player of the Day Rainier Bello 2-3 2b, HR, R, RBI 

Omaha Storm Chasers 5 New Orleans Zephyrs 1 

Nate Adcock gave the Chasers seven quality innings to earn his 8th win of the season getting 8 groundouts and four K’s in that time.  The Chasers offense gave Adcock five runs in the first 5 innings with nine hits and three walks off New Orleans starter Elih Villanueva including a solo home run by Max Ramirez and run scoring double by Wil Myers who played another game at third base.

W: Adcock (8-5, 4.86) L: Villanueva (9-8, 3.92)

Tulsa Drillers 2 NW Arkansas Naturals 1

The Naturals difficult season is winding to a close and Saturdays result was nothing new as the team lost a close one late.  Starer Justin Marks was solid in his 5.1 innings giving up just an unearned run on five hits and a couple walks while striking out six on 85 pitches, the only run coming in the first on a Julio Rodriguez throwing error to 3rd that got away allowing the base stealer to score.  The Naturals had scored in the 1st on a walk and a pair of singles but would do no more damage due to the fact that they wouldn’t get a runner on base in the final five innings of the game.  The loss would come in the bottom of the ninth on a single and a walkoff double off reliever Ryan Dennick.

W: Simons (5-2, 1.59) L: Dennick (6-5, 4.33)

Kane County Cougars 4 Burlington Bees 3

The Cougars knocked one off of their wild card deficit with a win in the opener of the two teams four game series.  The Bees took three run lead in the 3rd inning off starter Angel Baez by getting four on with a walk, a couple singles and a double along with a sac fly.  Kane County would get a run back in the bottom of the 3rd and take the lead in the 5th with a couple errors and three successive singles by Kenny Swab, Justin Trapp and Jack Lopez.  That 4-3 lead would hold up with good efforts by bullpen arms Michael Giovenco, Kellen Moen and Cody Fassold finished.  The win pulled Kane County within 2 games of the Bees in the wild card chase.

W: Giovenco (5-2, 4.24) L: Peters (2-5, 3.06)
S: Fassold (1)

Missoula Osprey 6 Idaho Falls Chukars 4 

The Chukars were just a 1/2 game out of first place but in third place entering the night with just twelve games to play.  Trying to keep pace with the rest of the division wasn’t something starter Ali Williams could do for his club when he put them in an early hole, allowing three runs in the 1st on a home run by Missoula’s Michael Perez.  Williams would quiet things down after that, earning a no decision when the Chukars offense put three runs on the board in the middle innings.  One of those runs came courtesy of Rainier Bello’s 7th home run, his third in the last two games.   The game would stay tied until the 8th when Missoula pieced their second three run inning of the night together with five singles off reliever David Middendorf.  The Chukars put the tying runners on base in the 8th but were able to get just one across falling 1.5 games behind first place Grand Junction and into last place.

W: Rivera (2-2, 5.68) L: Middendorf (2-1, 4.91)
S: Spilker (5)

Johnson City Cardinals 5 Burlington Royals 1

The Cardinals jumped out to a early 4-1 lead and were never threatened by the Royals who once again couldn’t close out the division with the loss.  The first four Johnson City hitters all reached base before Patrick Conroy could record an out putting two runs on the board and finishing off the inning with two more on singles and a sac fly.  The Royals put a run on the board in the 2nd courtesy of a fielding error but would not threaten afterwards getting just five hits on the night versus three different Cardinals pitchers.

W: Donofrio (4-2, 1.26) L: Conroy (5-2, 4.13)

AZL Rangers 9 AZL Royals 0 

W: Parra (5-6, 3.79) L: Halley (0-1, 54.00)