MILKMEN MASH AGAINST REDHAWKS FOR 10-6 VICTORY

It rained heavily in the greater Milwaukee area tonight but it was a perfect evening for baseball in Fargo, North Dakota as the Milkmen squared off against the RedHawks in game two of this road series. Milwaukee's offense put the pressure on opposing starter Matt Tomshaw early, with Mason Davis and David Washington recording hits in the first inning before getting stranded. But the lineup wouldn't be held at zero runs for long.

In the second, Zach Nehrir earned a one-out walk and later moved to third on a two-out single by Logan Trowbridge. Brett Vertigan followed with a single of his own to score Nehrir and give the Milkmen an early 1-0 lead.

Milwaukee went back at it in the third. Washington stung another base hit and then moved up to third when Aaron Hill -- pinch-hitting for DH Chase Simpson -- hit a single of his own. Adam Walker lofted a fly ball to left and an aggressive tag by Washington on the sacrifice fly made it 2-0 Milkmen.

After a scoreless fourth inning, the cattle broke loose in the fifth as Milwaukee sent 12 men to the plate. Walker launched a three-run homer over the fence in left-center field for his third bomb of the season, bringing his RBI total on the day to four. Trowbridge (RBI single), Dylan Tice (RBI bases-loaded walk), and Davis (RBI bases-loaded HBP) added three more runs against reliever Jared Cosart after Tomshaw was chased, giving the Milkmen a total of six runs in the frame as they took a commanding 8-0 lead.

Nothing is easy in baseball, of course, and the RedHawks did their part to make the game interesting. Angel Ventura largely cruised through the first four innings on the mound for Milwaukee but served up a home run to Drew Ward to lead off the bottom of the fifth, his second dinger in as many nights.

Another run-scoring hit by Trowbridge (who had four knocks on the night) in the 6th inning made it a 9-1 game, but Ward struck again in the bottom half of that inning, this time with an RBI double. When Ventura allowed the first two batters in the 7th to reach, he was pulled in favor of Zach Hartman. The first batter he faced was Trey Hair, who lofted a ball into left field that Adam Walker made a stellar diving catch for, likely saving a couple of runs from scoring. That play would end up being pivotal, as Hartman then allowed two straight hits that scored both of the runners he inherited from Ventura to make it a 9-4 game before recording the final out of the inning. Angel's final line was 6 innings pitched with 9 hits, four runs (all earned) with three strikeouts and one walk. 

Brett Vertigan's RBI single in the top of the 8th made it a 10-4 ballgame, but Hartman continued to labor in the bottom half, allowing four straight one-out hits and two runs before getting pulled for AJ Schugel. The MLB veteran put out the fire, inducing a flyout from Correlle Prime to escape the threat. Myles Smith came in and tossed the bottom of the ninth for Milwaukee, allowing a harmless two-out single in an otherwise scoreless frame. The 10-6 victory snapped a two-game losing streak for the Milkmen, who now stand with a 6-4 record on the season.

With the series tied 1-1, tomorrow's finale will have a 12:30 PM first pitch.

For a complete game recap, click here.

For game highlights and more, click here.

The Milkmen head to the Sioux Falls hub next to face the St. Paul Saints. To watch the games, click here. A full season subscription can be purchased for $19.99.

The Milkmen are back at Franklin Field Tuesday, July 21st as they host the Chicago Dogs at 6:35 pm.
For tickets and more information visit MilwaukeeMilkmen.com