Sunday, April 26th: Joe Bennie’s Grand Slam Helps Snappers Sweep Twinbill while Chad Pinder Leads Hounds to Walk-Off Win in 12th

A’s Farmhand Of The Day: Beloit Snappers Outfielder Joe Bennie (3 for 3 / 2 Doubles / Grand Slam / GWRBI)
A’s Farmhand Of The Day: Beloit Snappers Outfielder Joe Bennie (3 for 3 / 2 Doubles / Grand Slam / GWRBI)

 

MIDWEST LEAGUE  (Class-A)

GAME #2

Clinton LumberKings  5

Beloit Snappers        6

WP – Johnson 1-1 / 4.97

HR – Bennie (2)

Farmhand Of The Game:

Outfielder Joe Bennie

(3 for 3 / 2 Doubles / Grand Slam / GWRBI)

With Beloit down by three runs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 6th, left fielder Joe Bennie belted a grand slam to provide the winning margin for the Snappers in the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader. Bennie went 3 for 3 in the game with a pair of doubles to add to his big blast. Center fielder Brett Vertigan singled, doubled and scored a run, while shortstop Yairo Munoz singled and drove in the Snappers’ first run on a sacrifice fly. Starter Jordan Schwartz gave up 2 runs in 4 innings of work, while RHP Kevin Johnson picked up the win despite allowing 3 runs, 2 earned, in 2 innings of relief, and LHP Jerad Grundy got the final three outs to earn the save in his season debut for the Snappers.

Click here for more on Nashville, Midland, Stockton & Beloit…

 

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE  (Triple-A)

Nashville Sounds       3

New Orleans Zephyrs  4

LP – Verdugo 1-2 / 3.60

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Farmhand Of The Game:

Shortstop Niuman Romero

(1 for 3 / 2 Walks / 2 RBIs)

 

The Sounds came up one run short on Sunday to register their fifth loss in their last six games. Shortstop Niuman Romero singled, walked twice and drove in a pair of runs, while center fielder Billy Burns singled, doubled and walked. Left fielder Jason Pridie singled, doubled and drove in a run, and third baseman Ryan Roberts, who signed a minor league contract with the A’s and was assigned to Nashville, had a pair of singles in his Sounds debut. Starter Ryan Verdugo allowed 4 runs, 2 earned, over 4 innings to take his 2nd loss, while RHP Angel Castro allowed just 1 hit and struck out 5 in 4 scoreless innings of relief. Along with Roberts’ addition to the Sounds roster, the A’s optioned RHP Kendall Graveman to Nashville, with RHP Ryan Cook returning to Oakland.

 

TEXAS LEAGUE  (Double-A)

San Antonio Missions    2

Midland RockHounds  3

WP – Dull 1-0 /0.00

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Farmhand Of The Game:

Shortstop Chad Pinder

(2 for 5 / Stolen Base / GWRBI)

 

With the game tied in the bottom of the 12th, shortstop Chad Pinder singled in the winning run to give the RockHounds the walk-off win on Sunday. Pinder also scored the tying run in the 4th after being hit by a pitch and singled and stole a base in the 5th. Catcher Carson Blair collected 3 hits, including a double, and drove in a run, while left fielder Jaycob Brugman also had 3 hits, stole a base and came around to score the winning run in the 12th. Starter Chris Jensen allowed 2 runs over 5 2/3 innings of work, while RHP Seth Frankoff pitched 2 1/3 perfect innings in relief. RHP Bobby Wahl tossed 2 shutout innings, and RHP Ryan Dull threw a scoreless 11th and 12th to pick up his 1st win for the RockHounds.

 

CALIFORNIA LEAGUE  (High-A)

Stockton Ports   2

Visalia Rawhide   1

WP – Avila 2-0 / 0.77

HR – Higley (2)

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Farmhand Of The Game:

Designated Hitter Justin Higley

(2 for 4 / Home Run / Double / GWRBI)

 

With two outs and the game tied in the top of 9th, designated hitter Justin Higley slugged his 2nd home run of the year to provide the Ports with the margin of victory of Sunday. Higley also doubled and scored Stockton’s only other run of the game in the 5th. Starter Tim Atherton turned in another impressive outing for the Ports, allowing just 1 unearned run on 2 hits while striking out 9 over 6 innings of work but exited with the game tied. RHP Sam Bragg pitched 1 perfect inning in relief, while RHP Andres Avila tossed 2 scoreless innings to earn his 2nd win for Stockton.

 

MIDWEST LEAGUE  (Class-A)

GAME #1

Clinton LumberKings  3

Beloit Snappers        4

WP – Navas 1-0 / 2.08

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Farmhand Of The Game:

Outfielder Robert Martinez

(2 for 4 / Double / 2 RBIs)

 

Left fielder Robert Martinez singled and doubled in the Snappers’ first 2 runs of the game in the 2nd inning on Sunday. Right fielder Shawn Duinkerk collected 3 hits, while designated hitter Joe Bennie had a pair of singles for Beloit. Starter Brett Graves had a solid outing, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits over 6 innings of work, while LHP Jose Torres tossed 2 shutout innings in relief, and RHP Carlos Navas threw a scoreless 9th to pick up the win in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader for Beloit.

 

Monday’s Games:

Nashville @ New Orleans – 4:00pm PT / 6:00pm CT

Corpus Christi @ Midland – 4:30pm PT / 6:30pm CT

Stockton @ Bakersfield – 7:15pm PT

 

 

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