Back in the Total Twins Draft League, will anyone complete a first-round sweep?
Undrafted Round
Game 3
Select League
(4) Duluth Pockets 2
(5) Lakeville Noses 3
10 innings
Pockets lead 2-1
A pitcher’s duel turned into an extra-inning clash, and Corey Koskie’s walkoff RBI double gave the Noses their first win of the round.
The Noses had led 2-0 before Doug Mientkiewicz tied the game for Duluth with a seventh-inning two-run single. The game stretched past regulation and was poised to reach the 11th, but with two outs in the 10th, Lyman Bostock walked before Koskie drove a pitch past Chad Allen in left, scoring Bostock without a throw.
(3) Kenosha Sticks 18
(6) Woodbury Poison 10
Sticks lead 2-1
In the most blast-laden slugfest of the tournament so far, the Sticks outhit (22-19), outhomered (5-4), and outscored Woodbury to claim a 2-1 series lead. J.D. Martinez and Bret Boone each hit a pair of homers for Kenosha, while Kent Hrbek did the same for the Poison.
Kenosha kept Woodbury at their tail from the start of the game, knocking Louie Varland out in the second inning and scoring 10 runs across the first three frames.
Every batter on both teams got a hit. Matt Tolbert led the Poison with four, Boone and Josh Bard matched his tally for the Sticks, while Martinez led all batters with five.
(2) Bloomington Berries 3
(7) Green Bay Tab 4
10 innings
Berries lead 2-1
Although the Berries appeared poised to sweep with a three-run first, the Tab scratched back and stole the win with an extra-inning walkoff. Matt Macri led the Tab with four hits and three runs driven in.
The game left Bloomington’s hands in the seventh inning when Macri reduced the deficit to one with a solo home run; an inning later, Craig Paquette knocked in Adam Lind with a sacrifice fly.
Come the tenth, Paquette nearly became the hero when he singled with two on, but Bloomington center fielder Dave Edwards threw out Lind at home. Instead, Macri became the man of the hour when he singled in Brian Anderson for the game-deciding run.
Choice League
(4) Madison Hints 4
(5) St. Paul Battles 2
Hints lead 2-1
In a game with just 11 combined hits, the three Madison knocks that cleared the fence provided the different and gave the Hints the series edge.
Alex Cora started the scoring for the Hints with a two-run shot before the Battles tied it in the fifth on a Butch Wynegar homer and Akil Baddoo fielder’s choice. But the Hints got solo longballs from David Dellucci in the seventh and Dalton Guthrie in the eighth before J.J. Putz completed a two-inning save.
(3) Racine Pieces 5
(6) Brooklyn Park Fights 9
Pieces lead 2-1
The Fights successfully avoided a three-game sweep with an early-inning offensive onslaught, topping the Pieces 9-5. J.T. Bruett led the team with three hits (including a homer) and three runs scored.
With the Pieces holding a 5-0 lead after three, Steve Pearce cut into the Racine deficit with a two-run dinger, but Chad Moeller made sure Brooklyn Park would not give back the lead by socking a three-run jack in the bottom of the fourth.
(2) Milwaukee Steam 3
(7) Plymouth Holes 12
Holes lead 2-1
After the Holes started the scoring with a three-run Danny Valencia homer, two Adam Lind solo shots helped the Steam climb back to a tie; however, Plymouth put nine runs on the board in their final two frames of offense, taking a 12-3 win and a 2-1 series lead.
The seventh saw a complete Steam collapse, with Plymouth starting the inning with four straight hits before (after a groundout) Paul Powell capped that frame with a two-run homer. The eighth saw Valencia (4-5, 3 runs, 3 RBIs) start the scoring with an RBI double before a string of singles brought in the rest of the runs.
No sweeps in the first round… let’s see who can take it home in the next set of games.