A number of close games highlight the action around the minor leagues tonight. The Princeton Rays and Johnson City Cardinals faced off in a doubleheader as well. Here is this morning’s look at the action Friday night around the farm system:

Columbus Clippers 4, Durham Bulls 3

The Clippers used a two out home run in the bottom of the fifth by Juan Diaz to snap a scoreless tie, taking a 2-0 lead over the Bulls. Durham came back in the top of the sixth, as Tim Beckham led off the inning with a solo home run, and tied the game on a run scoring double by Leslie Anderson. The Bulls had the bases loaded with one out in the inning, but Matt Langwell struck out Reid Brignac and Cole Figueroa to end the threat. Durham took the lead in the top of the seventh, as Brooks Conrad‘s two out base hit drove in Chris Gimenez, giving the Bulls a 3-2 lead. However, the Clippers rallied in the bottom of the eighth, as Cord Phelps and Russ Canzler hit back to back home runs, giving the Clippers the eventual 4-3 victory. Brandon Gomes took the loss, giving up 2 earned runs on 2 hits in his inning of work. Conrad and Anderson both had two hits in the defeat.

Huntsville Stars 9, Montgomery Biscuits 8

The Stars jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the first, highlighted by a run scoring throwing error by Nick Barnese, and a two run, bases loaded double by Hunter Morris. Barnese was knocked from the game after the 6 run barrage, having not recorded a single out. The Biscuits got two runs back in the top of the fourth, scoring on a hit batsman and a walk with the bases loaded. Montgomery batted around in the fifth, scoring six times, highlighted by a two run single from Brett Nommensen and Kyeong Kang‘s RBI double. Huntsville got a run back in the bottom of the sixth, as Brock Kjeldgaard led off the inning with a home run. The Stars took the lead with two out in the bottom of the eighth, as T. J. Mittelstaedt hit a two run single. The Biscuits attempted to rally in the top of the ninth, putting runners on first and second with no outs, but were unable to push a run across. Marquis Fleming took the loss, giving up a run on a hit and a walk in his inning of work. Kang was 3-5 with 2 runs scored, a double, and an RBI.

Charlotte Stone Crabs 6, St. Lucie Mets 5

The Mets put a quick run on the board, as Alonzo Harris singled to lead off the top of the first, stole second, and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Daniel Muno. The Stone Crabs tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, as Luke Scott led off the inning with a home run, knotting the game at 1-1. The Mets took the lead again in the top of the fifth, as Cory Vaughn hit a two run double, and came around to score on Aderlin Rodriguez‘s single. The Rays and Mets swapped runs over the next inning, giving the Mets a 5-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh. Charlotte then exploded int he bottom of the seventh, as Luke Scott hit a two run single with the bases loaded, putting the Stone Crabs within one. Todd Glaesmann, who homered in the sixth, double to tie the game. Scott then scored the game winning run on Cody Rogers‘ base hit. Alex Koronis picked up the victory in relief, giving up 1 run on 3hits and a walk over 2 innings, striking out 3 batters. Scott and Glaesmann each finished 2-4 with a home run.

Bowling Green Hot Rods 2, Great Lakes Loons 1

The Hot Rods jumped out to a quick lead, as Ryan Brett doubled, stole third, and scored on a sacrifice fly to give Bowling Green a 1-0 lead just two batters into the game. The Loons tied the game in the bottom of the third, as James Baldwin singled, stole second, and scored on a groundout. Hot Rods’ starter Jake Floethe left while warming up in the bottom of the fourth, due to an apparent injury. The Bowling Green bullpen, however, was up to the task, shutting down the Loons the rest of the way. The Hot Rods got another run in the top of the fifth, when Juniel Querecuto doubled, and advanced to third on an error by Nick Akins. Querecuto then scored on a base hit by Tyler Goeddel. The Bowling Green bullpen pitched six innings, giving up two hits and three walks. Justin Woodall picked up the victory, pitching 2 hitless innings, walking 2 and striking out 3 Loons. Brett was 1-3 with a double, a stolen base, a run scored, and 2 walks.

Connecticut Tigers 5, Hudson Valley Renegades 3

After falling behind 1-0 after the first inning, the renegades came back, scoring a run as Ryan Dunn singled, went to second on a passed ball, stole third, and scored on a Jake DePew single to tie the game at 1-1. Hudson Valley took the lead in the top of the fifth, as Joey Rickard doubled, scoring DePew, and came around to score on a base hit by Richie Shaffer. The Tigers loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth, and scored a run with a two out bases loaded walk. Jordan Dean singled, the ball glancing off of Luke Maile‘s glove, driving in two and giving the Tigers a 4-3 lead. Connecticut tacked on an insurance run in the eighth, coming back for a 5-3 win. Matthew Spann took the loss, giving up 4 runs (3 earned) on 5 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3 in 5.2 innings. Three Renegades had two hits each in the loss.

Johnson City Cardinals 10, Princeton Rays 9 (7 innings)

In the first game of the double header, the Rays jumped out on the Cardinals. The Rays scored a run in the top of the second, then put another three runs on the board in the third, highlighted by Reid Redman‘s RBI double and a run scoring single from Andrew Toles. Princeton scored four more runs in the top of the fourth, on two runs home runs from Brandon Martin and Toles, taking an 8-0 lead midway through the fourth inning. The Cardinals got three runs back in the bottom of the inning, as Jeremy Schaffer, Gerwuins Velazco, and Ronard Castillo each had RBI doubles. Both teams swapped runs in the sixth, giving the Rays a 9-4 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. However, the Cardinals came all the way back, scoring six times in a wild inning. Two errors and a wild pitch contributed to the baserunners, and the scoring was highlighted by a two run bases loaded double by Carson Kelly. With the game tied and the bases loaded with two out, a passed ball allowed Bruce Caldwell to score from third, giving the Cardinals the 10-9 victory. Jonathan Weaver picked up the loss, giving up 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits without recording an out. Andrew Toles and William Argo each had three hits in the defeat.

Johnson City Cardinals 8, Princeton Rays 4 (7 innings)

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Rays again started quickly, scoring three times in the top of the first. Andrew Toles had an RBI double, moved to third on the throw home, and scored on a throwing error. The Cardinals came back in the bottom of the inning, as Bruce Caldwell hit a bases loaded single, driving in two runs. Toles scored again in the top of the third, this time on a Omar Narvaez sacrifice fly, giving the Rays a 4-2 lead. As in the previous game, the Cardinals came back, scoring a run in the fourth as Trevor Martin hit a solo home run. Johnson City then put three more runs up in the fifth, highlighted by an RBI double by Michael Knox. Knox scored on an attempted stolen base by Trevor Martin. The Cardinals scored twice more in the sixth, as Bruce Caldwell hit a two run double, providing the final margin in the 8-4 victory. Hugo Duarte took the loss, giving up 4 runs on 6 hits in his inning of work, while registering 3 strikeouts. Toles, William Argo, and Chad Nacapoy each had two hits in the defeat.

GCL Rays 6, GCL Orioles 1

The Rays broke open a scoreless game in the bottom of the third, scoring three runs on Bralin Jackson‘s two out, bases loaded triple. The Rays tacked on single runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, opening up a comfortable 6-0 lead. The Orioles got a run back in the top of the eighth, as Adrian Marin hit a two out RBI single to score Andres Aguilar. However, it was too little, too late, as the Rays won 6-1. Isaac Gil picked up the victory, pitching 5 scoreless innings, giving up 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4 batters. Jackson was 2-4 with a triple and 2 RBIs, and Armando Araiza went 1-3 with an RBI, a walk, and 2 runs scored.

Typically, in our look around the Rays minor league teams, we go from AAA to the Gulf Coast League. However, we start with the Princeton Rays, as they finished a game that began last night.

Princeton Rays 12, Pulaski Mariners 9 (23 innings)

After 23 innings and a combined 7 hours, 48 minutes, the Princeton Rays finally dispatched the Pulaski Mariners 12-9. Andrew Toles and William Argo led off the top of the 23rd with consecutive HBPs,  and scored as Domingo Brazoban committed a throwing error on an Oscar Hernandez ground ball. Hernandez ended up on third on the play, and scored on a Reid Redman single. Redman scored on a sacrifice fly later in the frame. The Mariners threatened in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with one out. However, they were only able to scratch across one run, as Princeton held off the rally. Christopher Kirsch picked up the victory, pitching the final 1.1 innings of the game, as he gave up 1 earned run on 2 hits and a walk.

Now, on to today’s games:

Durham Bulls 5, Gwinnett Braves 3

Scoreless though six innings, the Bulls offense woke up in the bottom of the seventh, scoring four times in the 5-3 victory. Stephan Vogt hit a two run triple with one out, and later scored on a Leslie Anderson single. Anderson scored on a Chris Gimenez double. The Braves put up three in the top of the eighth, as Ernesto Mejia hit a three run home run. The Bulls tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the inning, securing the victory. Vogt was 3-4 with a triple, a run scored, a walk, and 3 RBIs. Evan Longoria was 0-4 with a walk.

Jacksonville Suns 2, Montgomery Biscuits 0

For the first time since May, the Biscuits were shutout, as they lost to the Jacksonville Suns 2-0. Both runs scored in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Shawn Bowman and Ben Lasater hit consecutive RBI singles with one out. The Biscuits never really threatened to score, as two unsuccessful stolen base attempts nipped potential rallies before they could even start. Graham Taylor picked up the win for Jacksonville, allowing 7 hits and 2 walks in 8 innings, while striking out 5 batters. Hak-Ju Lee had a base hit, extending his streak of getting on base to 46 games.

Jupiter Hammerheads 4, Charlotte Stone Crabs 1

The Hammerheads scored twice in the third and twice more in the seventh, taking a 4-1 victory over the Charlotte Stone Crabs. With two out in the bottom of the third, Christian Yelich hit a two run home run, giving Jacksonville an early 2-0 lead. The Stone Crabs cut the lead in half in the top of the fifth, as Cody Rogers hit a solo home run with two out. The Hammerheads pulled away in the bottom of the seventh, as Marcell Ozuna and Mark Canha each hit RBI singles. Zack Neal picked up the win, allowing 1 earned run on 4 hits and 1 walk through 6 innings, striking out 1 batter.

Great Lakes Loons 8, Bowling Green Hot Rods 6 (11 innings)

Tied 5-5 after the fourth, what promised to be an offensive explosion morphed into a duel of the bullpens. In the end, the Loons came away with the victory in eleven innings, winning 8-6. Jesus Arredono drove in the winning run with a two-out double, and scored on a single by O’Koyea Dickson. Nick Akins hit two home runs for the Loons, both solo shots in the second and fifth. Arredondo and Dickson each had three hits. For the Hot Rods, Drew Vettleson, Cameron Seitzer, Matt Rice, and Juniel Querecuto each had two hits. Austin Hubbard took the loss, giving up 2 earned runs on 3 hits and  walk in his 1 inning of work.

State College Spikes 1, Hudson Valley Renegades 0

The Renegades’ five game winning streak was snapped, as the Spikes shut out Hudson Valley 1-0. The lone run came when Derek Trent lined a one out double, and scored on a throwing error on Jodanelli Carvajal ground ball to first. The Renegades threatened to score in the fourth and sixth innings, but were unable to push a run across. Jeff Ames pitched well, getting a no decision after allowing 3 hits and 2 walks in 5.2 innings, striking out 6 batters.

Pulaski Mariners 7, Princeton Rays 5

The Mariners scored three times in the first, and three more times in the fifth, as they held off a comeback by the Rays to win 7-5. The Mariners loaded the bases with no one out in the first, scoring on a sacrifice fly, an error, and a base hit. In the fifth, Pulaski started the inning with two base hits, before a flyout drove in the fourth run of the game. A wild pitch and a Phillips Castillo double brought in the next two runs. Princeton came back in the top of the sixth, scoring three times, highlighted by a two run single by Darryl George with the bases loaded. Despite scoring single runs in the top of the seventh and eighth, the Rays were unable to complete the comeback. George finished the night 3-4 with 3 RBI in the loss. Jonathan Weaver fell to 0-5, giving up 3 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits and 5 walks in 4 innings, with 2 strikeouts.

GCL Orioles 11, GCL Rays 1

The Rays jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, as Adderly Rosa drove in Cesar Perez. The lead held up until the top of the fifth inning, when the Orioles exploded, scoring 11 runs in the next four frames to run away with the 11-1 victory. Manuel Hernandez had a three run home run, and Hector Volez and Dan Pelligrino each drove in two runs for the Orioles. Jorge Rodriguez took the loss, giving up 4 runs on 7 hits in 4.2 innings. Brett Blaise was shelled in his .2 innings, giving up 4 runs (3 earned) on 2 hits and 2 walks. Rosa, Bralin Jackson, and Armando Araiza each had two hits in the loss.