The Undercards: Conrad, Gantt Produce As Minors Go 6-1

The Tampa Bay Rays may have been off on Monday, but the minor leagues were in action with some exciting play. The Montgomery Biscuits and the Bowling Green Hot Rods each scored 7 runs on 14 hits in their games, although the two teams had different results. Here is today’s look around the minor leagues:

Durham Bulls 4, Columbus Clippers 1 (7 innings)

The Clippers jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead, as Cord Phelps homered with one out in the top of the first inning. However, Durham scored the final four runs of the game, taking a 4-1 victory. Chris Gimenez walked in the bottom of the second, reached third on a Brooks Conrad double, and scored on a Leslie Anderson groundout to tie the game. Gimenez and Conrad factored into the scoring again in the fourth, as Gimenez led off the inning with a base hit, and scored on Conrad’s two run home run. Henry Wrigley drove in the final run of the game, as his RBI double plated Tim Beckham. Conrad and Beckham each finished with 2 hits. Lance Pendleton picked up the victory, allowing 1 run on only 3 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 7 over 6 innings.

Jacksonville Suns 11, Montgomery Biscuits 7

Despite exploding for 7 runs and 14 hits, the Montgomery Biscuits came up short against the Jacksonville Suns, losing 11-7. Tied at 3-3 heading into the fifth inning, the Suns scored 5 times, highlighted by Zack Cox‘s two run triple. The Biscuits came back in the eighth, as Greg Sexton and Derek Dietrich each hit home runs. Shawn O’Malley just missed adding a two run shot, but was robbed by a leaping Danny Pertusati. Matt Buschmann was shelled, giving up 8 runs (7 earned) on 8 hits and 3 walks, with 3 strikeouts, over 5 innings. Mark Thomas was 3-4 for the Biscuits, and Sexton, Omar Luna, and Michael Sheridan had two hits each.

Bowling Green Hot Rods 7, Fort Wayne TinCaps 4

The Hot Rods exploded out of the gate, scoring 5 times in the first, then hung on for a 7-4 victory. Drew Vettleson‘s two run home run with one out highlighted the first inning offensive outburst. With the score 7-2 in the bottom of the seventh, the TinCaps put together a rally, loading the bases with no outs. Following a strikeout, the TinCaps had a hit batter and a walk force in two runs. Andrew Bellatti came into the game, getting a strikeout and a flyball to center to end the threat. Jake Floethe picked up this 10th victory of the year, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on five hits over 6 innings, striking out 6 batters. Cameron Seitzer and Alejandro Segovia each had three hits for the Hot Rods.

Hudson Valley Renegades 4, Jamestown Jammers 2 (11 innings, Game One)

In the first game of their weather induced doubleheader, the Renegades and Jammers played a hard fought contest, with the Renegades pulling out a 4-2 victory in 11 innings. Tied at 2-2 after the sixth inning, the best scoring opportunity prior to the eleventh came in the top of the tenth, as Ryan Dunn lead off the inning with a double, and moved to third on a groundout. Held at third on another ground ball, Dunn was eventually stranded at third as Jake DePew grounded out to end the threat. The Renegades finally capitalized in the top of the eleventh, as Richie Shaffer and Ryan Dunn had RBI singles. Marcus Jensen pitched the bottom of the eleventh, capping off three perfect innings for the victory. Marty Gantt went 3-3 with 1 double, 1 run scored, and 2 walks in the victory.

Hudson Valley Renegades 4, Jamestown Jammers 2 (7 innings)

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Renegades defeated the Jammers with an identical 4-2 victory. The Jammers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second, as Kentrell Dewitt hit a two run triple. That score held up until the top of the sixth, as the Renegades loaded the bases with one out. Felix Gonzalez struck out, but reached on a passed ball, giving the Renegades their first run. Michael Williams then reached on an error by shortstop Anthony Gonzalez, bringing in the second run, tying the score at 2-2. Hudson Valley took the lead in the top of the seventh, as Luke Maile had an RBI double, and scored on a Charles Epperson single. Jose Molina picked up the victory in relief, giving up 1 hit and striking out 2 in 2 innings of work.

Princeton Rays 9, Kingsport Mets 1

The Rays exploded for 9 runs in the first six innings, and cruised to a 9-1 victory over the Kingsport Mets. Andrew Toles hit a two run home run in the first to give the Rays a quick 2-0 lead. With the score 3-0 heading into the fifth, the Rays scored five times, highlighted by RBI doubles by Toles and Darryl George. The Mets scored in the bottom of the eighth, but it was not enough to threaten the lead. Blake Snell picked up the victory, giving up 2 hits and 1 walk in 5 scoreless innings, striking out 5 batters. Toles went 2-5 with a home run, a double, 2 runs scored, and 3 RBI.

GCL Rays 4, GCL Twins 3

The GCL Rays came back from a 2-0 deficit, scoring 3 times in the sixth and once in the seventh to pull out a 4-3 victory over the Twins. With two out in the sixth, Benjamin Kline hit a two run double, tying the game. He later scored on a Yoel Araujo single, as the Rays took their first lead at 3-2. The Rays tacked on another run in the seventh as Johnny Eierman walked, reached second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a throwing error by the second baseman. The Twins scored another run in the top of the eighth, but were set down in order in the ninth as the Rays held on for the win. Luis Cabrera picked up the win in relief, allowing 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 4 in 5.2 innings. Kline and Araujo both went 2-4 in the win.