Frontier League: Game Recaps, Notes, News & Transactions
I thought we had a deal with Mother Nature, last weekend?
Two more Frontier League games were postponed due to inclement weather:
- Équipe Québec vs Southern Illinois Miners
- Lake Erie Crushers vs Evansville Otters
That means two more doubleheaders that are now scheduled on Thursday for these four teams.
Later today, I’ll present my “Game Talk” interview with Florence Y’alls outfielder, Rodney Tennie, a leadoff man known for being both very fast and slow at the same time. Don’t know what I mean? You’ll understand, very cool interview done yesterday when the team had the day off.
For the time being, I present the two “Game Talk” segments I produced yesterday. This is my type of doubleheader…
Let’s Play Two!
Riley Krane is the 1B of the Evansville Otters and he joins us from the Bosse Field stands to talk about his recent Frontier League Player of the Week honours, batting, leadership, independent baseball and beer!
Rob Calabrese stops by for a “Game Talk” segment with the Frontier League Journal. The Windy City Thunderbolts catcher has been on a tear to begin the season, just like his team, so I took the time to call him and we talk catching, training, hitting, independent baseball and… breakfast?
TRANSACTIONS
JOLIET SLAMMERS
June 1: Signed OF Dylan Hardy, a 13th round pick of the Red Sox in 2018, but only produced a .566 OPS with them in two seasons. The right-handed batter can play all three outfield spots and steals a lot of bases, an aspect of the Slammers’ game that could be developed, having only 2 swiped bags this season. Good pinch running / defensive sub option for manager Aaron Nieckula.
NEW JERSEY JACKALS
June 1: Signed RHP Angelo Baez, a very intriguing option to start some games for the Jackals after they lost two pitchers to affiliated ball, including their ace Jose Almonte. The right-hander has yet to play pro ball, but his numbers in college and summer leagues as a starter are VERY impressive:
TRI-CITY VALLEYCATS
June 1: Signed RHP Drew Finley prior to yesterday’s game and appeared in that one. He was rocked hard (0.2 IP, 4 ER, a homer and two walks allowed while striking out none). He has been in the Yankees and Dodgers organizations mainly has a reliever.
June 1: Transferred LHP Onas Farfan to the 14-day injured list. Placed catcher Jake Barbee on the 7-day injured list.
NEWS
Not really news, but two highlights from the Florence Y’alls vs Southern Illinois Miners games two days ago, when the Y’alls’ Luis Pintor put on a clinic at shortstop!
STANDINGS
GAME RECAPS and NOTES
New York news release:
WIRCHANSKY, KIRTLEY LEAD BOULDERS PAST TRI-CITY
Rockland County, NY (June 1, 2021) — The New York Boulders rode a franchise tying performance on the mound from Dan Wirchansky and a seventh inning grand slam by Zach Kirtley to a 7–2 Frontier League win over the visiting Tri-City Valley Cats on Tuesday at Palisades Credit Union Park.
The lefthanded Wirchansky went seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out a dozen, which equaled the franchise high last done in 2018 by Justin Brantley against Trois-Rivieres in the Can-Am League.
Meanwhile, Kirtley’s grand slam turned a three-run Boulders’advantage into a 7–0 game. Kirtley finished the night with two hits and two runs scored.
New York went ahead 2–0 in the home half of the first with a two-run single by Kevonte Mitchell. The Boulders made it 3–0 in the sixth when Ray Hernandez’ two-out single scored Mitchell.
Mitchell ended the evening with two hits and two RBI, while Austin Dennis had a three-hit night for the Boulders,
Nathan Alexander tossed a scoreless eighth inning for New York, while John Cain pitched the ninth, surrendering a two-run home run to Carson Maxwell that accounted for Tri-City’s scoring.
The Boulders and Valley Cats continue their three-game series on Wednesday at Palisades Credit Union Park with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Frontier League Journal Game Notes:
- Another game under the 3-hour mark.
- Boulders INF Zach Kirtley had only 2 hits in 16 at-bats before his big night (double and homer), yesterday, and nearly doubled his OPS to .642. DH Kevonte Mitchell hit two singles, scored a run, produced two, walked and stole two more bases and has already 4 this season. For his part, SS Austin Denis had another multi-hit game with two singled and a double.
- On the mound for New York, you read above about left-handed starter Danny Wirchansky and he has yet to allow an earned runs in 2021 and batters are hitting only .150 against him. This is exactly what you want your ace to do.
- Tri-City’s offense struck out 15 times, while drawing only 3 walks.
- The ValleyCats pitching staff struggled and all four pitchers who took the mound allowed more walks than they struck out.
Sussex County Miners news release:
OFFENSIVE ONSLAUGHT SINK JACKALS 17–7
June 1, Little Falls, NJ — The Sussex County Miners (3–1) set or tied 4 team records as well as tied a Frontier League record on Tuesday night en route to a 17–7 win over in-state rivals the New Jersey Jackals (3–2) at Yogi Berra Stadium. The win also moves the Miners into 1st place in the young season.
The offensive assault was led by Trey Hair, who went 3-for-4 at the plate. All of Trey’s hits were home runs, marking the first time in Miners history that a player has hit 3 HRs in a single game. Hair’s feat also tied the Frontier League record for most HRs in a game along with several other players, the most recent being Paul Kronenfeld of the River City Rascals back on August 17, 2018. Trey also had 7 RBI’s, breaking the old team record of 6 RBI set by Daniel Mateo in 2018, also at Yogi Berra Stadium.
But Hair wasn’t the only Miner raking on Tuesday. Nilo Rijo continued his hot start by getting hits in his first 4 at bats in going 4-for-6 with a triple and a pair of runs scored. Daniel Herrera also went 4-for-6 with a HR and 3 RBIs, Cito Culver had a 3-hit night, also going yard for his 1st HR of the season, and Audy Ciriaco, Martin Figueroa, and Aaron Knapp also had 2-hit night as the Miners set a franchise record with 21 hits in the contest.
Tyler Luneke (1–0) pitched 3 1/3 innings of excellent relief work after coming on for Mike Castellani to pick up the win on the mound. Luneke struck out 5 batters in that span, while allowing just 1 run on 1 hit, and walking 2 to go with the 5 strikeouts. Joe Baran and Robert Klinchock would pitch the last 2 innings to close out the ballgame for the Miners, with Klinchock retiring all 3 batters he faced.
The Miners and Jackals get back at it Wednesday night for a 7:05 first pitch at Yogi Berra Stadium. Max Herrmann will make his 2021 debut for the Miners, with John Hayes slated to start for the Jackals.
Frontier League Journal Game Notes:
- The Miners reliever Robert Klinchock was the only pitcher on both teams (9 total) to not allow an earned run in this offense-oriented night.
- With his three home runs, the Miners Trey Hair’s slugging is now at 1.091 on the young season.
Schaumburg news release:
JOLIET, IL — The Schaumburg Boomers, presented by Wintrust Community Banks, received seven strong innings from rookie Ryan Middendorf in his professional debut but suffered a 2–0 loss in the first road game of the year at the hands of the Joliet Slammers.
Middendorf, Schaumburg’s first round pick at the 2021 Frontier League Draft, struck out six but was hit with the loss. The righty struck out the first batter of the game looking and retired the first four batters of the contest, three via strikeout. Middendorf’s outing marked the fourth consecutive quality start for the pitching staff.
Alec Craig led off the game with a double for the Boomers but was left at second base. Schaumburg stranded nine in the game, seven in scoring position. The lone runs of the game came in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run homer from Joliet’s Brian Parreira. Four Joliet pitchers combined to limit Schaumburg to just four hits. Craig and Clint Hardy both reached three times in the loss.
The Boomers (2–3) continue the series on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. when opening night starter RHP Kyle Arjona makes his second start of the season. The team returns home this weekend for seven games.
Frontier League Journal Game Notes:
- Good to see a tryouts draftee like the Boomers’ Ryan Middendorf go out and pitch a game like that. He did not win, but was dominant and kept his team in the game while giving a rest to the bullpen. Schaumburg’s starters have been very impressive, so far in 2021.
- His counterpart for Joliet, Cam Aufderheide, lasted only 3 innings (37 pitches) even though he was very effective (he pitched 5 innings in his previous start). I wonder what the logic was, but in the end the decision was the right one from the manager.
- I’m repeating myself, but I don’t care: Boomers leadoff man Alex Craig keeps getting on base, this time with a double and two walks in the game, raising his OBP to .609. 2B Angelo Gumbs kept his 5 game hitting streak alive with a single and added a walk.
- Joliet C/1B Brian Parreira has a hit in every game in 2021 and almost half of his hits are for extra-bases. His OPS now stands at a sweet .904. His teammate, 2B Lane Baremore, now has 3 consecutive multi-hit games and a .400 average on the season, same as 3B Brylie Ware.
- Joliet right-handed reliever Trevor Charpie recorded his second save of the season and has not allowed an earned run or a hit in 3 games in 2021. His WHIP stands at 0.33!
- The game lasted 2h27.
