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July 11-13: FLAGSTAFF (62-31) @ ALBUQUERQUE (35-61)
Stadium: Optum Park (Capacity: 14,453)

July 11: Mariachis 3, Hops 2
July 12: Mariachis 4, Hops 3
July 13: Hops 5, Mariachis 2

Albuquerque, NM (AP) - The Flagstaff Hops began their final road trip of the first half by dropping two of three to the last place Albuquerque Mariachis.

The Hops dropped their fourth straight game on Tuesday evening as they lost the opener in Albuquerque 3-2. Ryan Swearer went 3 for 4 for a home run that proved to be the game winner for the last-place Mariachis.

The Hops grabbed a 1-0 lea din the top of the first inning on a Josh Ortega RBI double.

Albuquerque responded in the bottom half with a Dan Rodriguez RBI double and an Olsen RBI single to take a 2-1 lead.

It would stay that way until the seventh when Ryan Swearer homered off of reliever Sam Varela. Forrest Owen would get that back in the top of the eighth with a solo shot of his own. It was his 15th on the season. But the Hops would leave the bases loaded as Roberto Geronimo struck out to end the threat.

Shoe-Lace O’Tying (9-4) took the loss. He pitched six innings, allowing two runs on eight hits, while striking out ten and walking two. Elmer Espinoza picked up the win for the Mariachis out of the bullpen. He worked 1.2 scoreless innings. Andy Carley picked up his 16th save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

The Mariachis won again on Wednesday evening as they won in walk-off fashion on a Ryan Swearer RBI single off of closer Vic Miller in the bottom of the ninth in a 4-3 victory. The loss was the Hops fifth straight.

Albuquerque took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning on a Dan Rodriguez sacrifice fly that scored Swearer. They would extend that lead to 2-0 in the third on a Rodriguez RBI single that also scored Swearer.

Robbie Westbrook would tie it up in the sixth with a clutch two-out, two-run single that scored Skyler Lyons and Isaac Nettles.

An infield single with the bases loaded in the seventh allowed the Mariachis to push across their third run to take a 3-2 lead. But Roberto Geronimo responded with a two-out RBI single in the top of the eighth to once again tie the ballgame.

That would setup the Mariachis to win it in the ninth. Pinch hitter Rocco Reyes singled with one out and then stole second off of closer Vic Miller. Ryan Swearer then lined one back up the middle and Reyes scored easily to walk it off. Miller (1-2), who has been incredible all year, just didn’t seem to have his best stuff on Wednesday evening.

Ryan Swearer went 4 for 5 with the game winning RBI and two runs scored for the victorious Mariachis.

Flagstaff would manage to avoid the sweep and put an end to their season high five game losing streak on Thursday afternoon with a 5-2 victory over the Mariachis. Emmitt Hampton went 2 for 4 with a home run to lead the way.

Skyler Lyons lead off the game with a solo home run to left that got the Hops going. They would add two more in the fourth on a two-run home run from Roberto Geronimo, his 14th on the year. An Emmitt Hampton RBI double in the fifth put the Hops up 4-0.

Dan Estrada singled home Beckman in the fifth to get Albuquerque on the board. A Huerta RBI single in the sixth cut the lead to 4-2.

Emmitt Hampton would add a solo home run in the eighth, his 24th on the year, to put the Hops up by three.

Juro Yamaguchi (8-4) picked up the win, tossing six innings, allowing two runs on nine hits. Aldo Osuna and Pedro Macias each pitched a scoreless inning in relief and Vic Miller worked the ninth to earn his 30th save.

Kaminski (4-11) took the loss for Albuquerque. He only lasted four plus innings, allowing four runs on seven hits.

Flagstaff (62-31) will close out the first half with their first ever trip to Yuma to take on the Dust Devils in a quick two-game series.

Trades: Scottsdale has traded 28-year-old starting pitcher Kenneth Valdez (78 OVR, C POT) to Surprise in exchange for 27-year-old starting pitcher Steven Peralta (66 OVR, D POT)

Fort Worth has acquired 30-year-old closer Freddie Crawford (97 OVR, A POT) from the Roadrunners in exchange for 22-year-old center fielder Leo Chavez (76 OVR, A POT), 24-year-old starting pitcher Julian Arnez (71 OVR, C POT) and 21-year old left fielder Jorge Francisco (54 OVR, C POT). Crawford just signed a long-term deal with Tucson this past offseason.

Las Vegas has acquired 28-year-old reliever Antoine Hudson (88 OVR, A POT) from Scottsdale in exchange for 21-year-old center fielder Tomas Perez (72 OVR, C POT) and 24-year-old starting pitcher James Jones (60 OVR, C POT).

Scottsdale has acquired 28-year-old third baseman Juan Vargas (86 OVR, B POT) from Prescott for three prospects in 21-year-old catcher Darryl McGee (72 OVR, A POT), 23-year-old reliever Tom Donnelly (58 OVR, C POT) and 25-year-old starting pitcher Grant McMahon (60 OVR, A POT). The Scorpions feel that they can make a run at a Desert League Wild Card spot or even a Central Division title sitting just two games back of Glendale.

Gilbert is looking to shore up their bullpen as they have acquired 25-year-old reliever Xavier Dennis (86 OVR, B POT) from Surprise in exchange for three prospects. The Saguaros received 24-year-old third baseman Jose Villasmil (70 OVR, C POT), 18-year-old catcher Jason Marberry (51 OVR, B POT) and 20-year-old first baseman Emil Vasquez (49 OVR, A POT)

Around the League: Josh Heupel homered and drove in three as Gilbert cruised past Mesa 11-2. The Barnstormers are coming off a split of a four game weekend series with first place Chandler. They now lead Mesa by 5.5 games in the DL Wild Card race. Phoenix dropped the opener of a three game series with Surprise 5-4 and afterwards fired manager Bryson Platt. The Firebirds are now twelve games below .500 at (40-52) with arguably the best roster in the IBL. They have hired 40-year-old Ronan Villalobos as his replacement.

San Antonio hits six home runs in a 9-0 victory over Amarillo. San Diego scored four in the top of the 11th to stun Austin 7-3 and move back to within a game of .500. The Seals are now just 3.5 back of Mesa in the Wild Card race. The Solar Sox have lost nine straight.

Mesa blasted four home runs as the Solar Sox blew past Gilbert 12-2. Clyde Floyd hit three doubles and drove in three to lead the way offensively as the Solar Sox try to stay in the race in the DL East. Goodyear scored six times in the bottom of the ninth, capped off by a Phil Newell walk-off grand slam as the Jack Rabbits rallied for an 8-4 victory over Glendale to win their fourth straight.

Las Vegas won a wild 11-10 game over Henderson on Wednesday evening to pull to within four games of the Silver Knights in the DL West. The Nuggets hit five home runs including two from Tom Markley as the Nuggets won for the eighth time in their last ten. Rio Rancho scored six runs in the top of the ninth to pull out a 10-4 victory over West Texas. Rickey Ferreira went 4 for 5 with two home runs and five RBIs to help the Owlz to the win.

St. George’s Taylor Austin (4-9) tossed a complete game four-hitter, striking out ten as the Archers defeated Salt Lake 1-0 to move to within a game of the second-place Chukars in the ML West.

Ryan Shearer had a big series for the Mariachis helping them to the series win.

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July 14-15: FLAGSTAFF (63-32) @ YUMA (42-54)
Stadium: Yuma Sports Complex (Capacity: 9,586)

July 14: Dust Devils 7, Hops 4
July 15: Hops 1, Dust Devils 0

Yuma, AZ (AP) - The Flagstaff Hops ended the first half of the season by splitting a short two-game series with the Yuma Dust Devils.

The Hops struggles continued on Friday night as they opened up a short two game series in Yuma with a 7-4 loss to the Dust Devils. Eddie Francisco went 2 for 4 with a three run home run to help pace Yuma to the victory.

Flagstaff grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning on an Isaac Nettles RBI single.

Yuma would get to Sam Herzog in the fifth inning, scoring five times, capped off by a three-run home run from Eddie Francisco.

The Hops would get two back in the top of the sixth on a Robbie Westbrook RBI single and Arturo Mardones RBI groundout. But Israel Coronado would homer off of Herzog in the bottom half to put the Dust Devils up 6-3.

Emmitt Hampton would hit his 25th home run on the season in the eighth, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Hops from dropping their sixth game in seven outings.

Sam Herzog (6-9) took the loss, allowing six runs, only two earned, on seven hits. He struck out five and did not walk a batter. Hugh Aulert (7-9) picked up the win for Yuma, allowing three runs on nine hits while striking out five in six innings of work.

In the finale, Alex Farmer tossed eight shutout innings, allowing two hits as the Hops defeated the Dust Devils 1-0. An RBI single from Art Mason in the sixth was the lone run of the ballgame.

Gerolamo Torrisi (4-4) carried a no hitter into the sixth inning for Yuma. But he surrendered a leadoff double to Oscar Aleman, and then a two-out RBI single to Art Mason.

Alex Farmer (9-3) only struck out two and walked one in eight innings of work as the Hops closed out the first half of the schedule with a victory. Vic Miller pitched the ninth to pick up his 31st save.

The Hops will now have off for the All-Star break with the All-Star Game on Tuesday evening in Tucson. They will return to action on Thursday evening at home against St. George.

TRADES: The sell off continues in Yuma as the Dust Devils have sent catcher Lucas Bishop (71 OVR, C POT) to Gilbert in exchange for center fielder Adam Plaza (56 OVR, C POT) and left fielder Oscar Gonzalez (62 OVR, C POT).

Amarillo is also looking towards the future as they have shipped 25-year-old third baseman Wesley Watson (87 OVR, B POT) to Rio Rancho in exchange for 23-year-old starting pitcher Mariano Estrella (77 OVR, C POT), 20-year-old catcher Michael Neal (65 OVR, C POT) and 25-year-old reliever Yerry de los Santos (58 OVR, B POT). Wesley Watson is a nice addition for Rio Rancho as they deal with the injury to Phil Riebow.

Colorado Springs has sent 28-year-old center fielder Juan Caceras (94 OVR, B POT) to Austin in exchange for 19-year-old right fielder Donnie Samuels (83 OVR, A POT) and 24-year-old third baseman David Cameron (74 OVR, B POT). Caceras hit 23 home runs and drove in 85 runs with 24 stolen bases last year and had 15 home runs with 37 RBIs with 10 stolen bases so far in 2023. The Snow Sox look to the future adding the young exciting Samuels who will likely move to center field in Colorado Springs.

Austin has also shipped out 27-year-od reliever Owen Bonds (89 OVR, B POT) to Goodyear in exchange for 31-year-old left fielder Rich Kelly (79 OVR, B POT) and 27-year-old reliever Adrian Castillo (78 OVR, C POT). Bonds appeared in 70 games for Austin last season, posting a 3.86 ERA with 25 holds.

Glendale has added another starting pitcher as they have acquired 35-year-old Paul Stanley (85 OVR, B POT) from Amarillo in exchange for 20-year-old shortstop Harper Juarez (69 OVR, C POT) and 23-year-old right fielder Nate Bradshaw (63 OVR, C POT).

The Desert Dogs have also acquired 21-year-old catcher Hank Harmond (87 OVR, B POT) from Colorado Springs in exchange for 22-year-old closer Rico Zapata (84 OVR, A OVR), 23- year-old shortstop Jacob Meyers (78 OVR, B POT) and 23-year-old left fielder Lazaro Armenteros (73 OVR, B POT).

Amarillo shipped 23-year-old second baseman Brady Rosa (79 OVR, C POT) to Phoenix in exchange for 23-year-old starting pitcher Buford Girard (78 OVR, C POT) and 24-year-old second baseman Cam Coursey (69 OVR, C POT).

Colorado Springs has sent 24-year-old left fielder Jay Russ (78 OVR, C POT) to West Texas in exchange for 22-year-old starting pitcher Christopher Green (71 OVR, B POT).

Around the League: Gilbert defeated Chandler 5-3 to move to within a game of first place in the DL East. Danny Lee (7-5) pitched seven strong innings, allowing two runs and striking out five to pick up the win.

San Diego scored six times in the top of the 14th inning to rally for a 10-4 victory over first place Henderson and move back to .500 in the DL West. Felipe Rios went 4 for 7 with a home run and two RBIs to lead the Seals offense as they stick around in the Wild Card chase.

Pat Mehnutzak (11-3) tossed a complete game five-hitter, all singles, as first-place Santa Fe shutout St George 5-0. Mehnutzak struck out six and walked three in the victory. Sergio Sierra homered twice and drove in three for the Silver Bullets.

Armando Bermudez (10-7) won his tenth game of the year as Gilbert blew past Chandler 9-3 and into a first place tie with the Chiefs in the DL East. Anthony Ortiz hit a second inning grand slam to help pace the Barnstormers to the victory.

Glendale pounded out 23 hits in a 16-3 victory over last-place Phoenix. Six Desert Dog players each had three hits in the game with Cecil Mills hitting two home runs and driving in five.

West Texas remains red hot as they defeated Fort Worth 5-1 to move above .500 for the first time all season. The Bison are 12-5 in their last 17 games and now hold one of the Mountain League Wild Card positions.

St. George rode a ten run fourth inning to a 10-5 victory over Santa Fe to close out the first half of the season. The Archers got a grand slam from Chris Taylor and homers from Scottie Hager and Fred Roberts in the win.

Alex Farmer is a solid fifth arm in the Hops rotation.

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YUMA TO RELOCATE

Phoenix, AZ (AP) - The league announced on Monday afternoon that the Yuma Dust Devils have been sold and will relocate to central California for the 2024 season, playing in Fresno. The Dust Devils were playing in the smallest market in the Desert League with a population of just under 100,000.

The team will remain in the DL West as they make the move to Fresno. The team will play in a brand new ballpark, Fowler Field, that is still under construction and will seat close to 20,000.

The team will finish out the 2023 season in Yuma.

The team will announce the new team name and unveil their new colors and logo later this summer.

The El Paso Blue Rocks have also announced that they will rebrand as the El Paso Express for the 2024 season. The club will change their color scheme to royal blue, yellow and silver.

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2023 STATE FARM HOME RUN DERBY


Gilbert’s Steve Heupel entertained the fans in Tucson and won the 2023 State Farm Home Run Derby.

Tucson, AZ (AP) – Gilbert Steve Heupel won the 2023 State Farm Home Run Derby in the brand new Safeway Park in downtown Tucson to kick off the All-Star Game festivities. Heupel defeated Surprise’s Alberto Ruiz in the final 16-15, to earn the title of Home Run Derby Champion.

Steve Heupel was the top seed heading into the competition, leading all competitors with 29 home runs on the campaign so far.

He opened the competition with an 18-17 victory over Flagstaff’s Emmitt Hampton. Heupel’s long home run in the opening round was 449 feet. Mesa’s Alberto Pulido, the fourth seed, defeated Chandler’s Stanton Brickman 13-12 to advance to the semifinals. Pulido hit three balls onto the roof of the suites in left field. Steve Heupel would take care of Alberto Pulido in the first semifinal 16-15 to advance.

Albuquerque’s Thomas Estrada put on a show for the fans in the opening round as he slugged 23 home runs to defeat San Antonio’s Kosuke Matsui 23-22. Twenty of Estrada’s bombs traveled over 390 feet with a long of 465 feet. The second seed, Surprise’s Alberto Ruiz, outslugged Flagstaff’s Josh Ortega 22-21 to advance to the semifinals. Ruiz would need overtime to defeat Thomas Estrada 23-22 to move into the finals. Both players were launching bombs with each hitting four longer than 440 feet!

In the finals, Surprise’s Alberto Ruiz started slowly but managed to hit 15 home runs. That wasn’t enough as Gilbert Steve Heupel hit 16 in regulation time to win the Home Run Derby. Both Heupel and Alberto Ruiz were knocked out in the first round in the 2022 competition in Las Vegas.

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2023 ILB ALL-STAR GAME LINEUPS

Mountain League All-Stars:
Starting Pitchers:
Shoe-Lace O’Tying (Flagstaff)
Rollie Flingers (Rio Rancho)
Lowell Alan Powell (West Texas)
Mark Donnellon (EL Paso)
Ryne Rodriguez (Rio Rancho)

Relievers:
Gregg Fierro (Fort Worth) - two-time All-Star
Ray Howard (Albuquerque)
Jeff Cabrera (Colorado Springs) - two-time All-Star
Kent McAlpin (Austin)
Emmett Franco (Salt Lake)
Lincoln Graham (Santa Fe)
Vic Miller (Flagstaff)

Catchers:
Richie Guerrero (Santa Fe) - two-time All-Star
Jerry Rameres (Austin)
Dave Burnett (Prescott)

Infielders:
Randy Klaus 1B (Fort Worth) - two-time All-Star
Jamaal McCormick 1B (St George)
Robbie Westbrook 2B (Flagstaff)
Brandon Gayle SS (El Paso)
Danny Watson 3B (Roswell) - two-time All-Star
Daryl Sweet 2B (Amarillo)
Donnell Marcus 3B (Colorado Springs)
Emerson King SS (Santa Fe)
Eric Pressley SS (Rio Rancho)
Corey Barton 1B (Santa Fe)

Outfielders:
Kosuke Matsui LF (San Antonio)
Art Mason CF (Flagstaff)
Thomas Estrada RF (Albuquerque)
Shuheii Takahashi LF (El Paso) - two-time All-Star
Emmitt Hampton RF (Flagstaff)
Pablo Feliz RF (Fort Worth) - two-time All-Star
Damien Hudson LF (Roswell)

Desert League All-Stars:
Starting Pitchers:
Frederico Quintana (San Diego)
Dan Reyna (Surprise)
Steve Escobar (Chandler)
Nino Soriano (Henderson)
Ramon Garcia (Tucson)

Relievers:
Chad Reyes (Glendale)
Lamont Vann (Yuma)
Charles Sato (Scottsdale)
Jim Miller (Chandler)
Maury Keith (Surprise)
Fred Michael (Goodyear)
Geronimo Ortega (Gilbert) - two-time All-Star

Catchers:
Mike Anderson (Chandler)
Jeff Jakowitsch (Phoenix)
Emilio Montalvo (Goodyear)

Infielders:
Albert Pulido, 1B (Mesa)
Brandon Roush 2B (Las Vegas)
John Nichols SS (Mesa)
Steve Heupel 3B (Gilbert) - two-time All-Star
Sean Pressley 3B (Henderson)
Lee Lim 1B (Scottsdale) - two-time All-Star
Tory Herrera 2B (Salt River)
Richard Gates 3B (Long Beach)
Jimmy James SS (Yuma)
Kenny James 3B (Phoenix)

Outfielders:
Vladimir Bruno LF (Chandler)
Alberto Ruiz CF (Surprise)
Junior Lima RF (Las Vegas)
Cecil Mills CF (Glendale)
Stanton Brickman RF (Chandler)
Enrique Lima RF (Las Vegas)
Phil Newell RF (Goodyear)

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2023 IBL ALL-STAR GAME


Gilbert’s Steve Heupel blasted a two-run home run to help lead the Desert League to victory.

Tucson, AZ (AP) – The Desert League won the 2nd annual IBL All-Star Game with a 4-3 victory over the Mountain League in a game played at Safeway Field in Tucson. Junior Lima’s RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning proved to be the game winner as the Desert League won for the second straight year.

The Desert League grabbed the lead in the third on a Vladimir Bruno (Chandler) solo home run to left. They would increase that lead to 3-0 in the fourth on a Steve Heupel (Gilbert) two-run home run to right field.

The Mountain League would tie it up in the sixth on a three-run home run from Eric Pressley (Rio Rancho).

But the Desert League would retake the lead in the bottom half after Albert Pulido (Mesa) doubled and Junior Lima (Las Vegas) singled him home.

Chad Reyes (Glendale) earned the win, tossing 1.2 innings and not allowing a runner while striking out two. Gilbert’s Geronimo Ortega earned the save.

Gregg Fierro (Fort Worth) took the loss. He pitched one innings, allowing one run on two hits and striking out one.

Steve Heupel of Gilbert earned the MVP honors, going 1 for 2 with the two-run home run. Albert Pulido and John Nichols (Mesa) each had two hits for the Desert League as they outhit the Mountain League 8-4.

The Regular season resumes on Thursday evening with one game as St George will travel to Flagstaff.

TRADES: Amarillo continues their sell off as they have sent 27-year-old second baseman Kevin Tincher (81 OVR< D POT) to Prescott in exchange for 22-year-old shortstop Antoni Flores (68 OVR, C POT) and 22-year-old starting pitcher Adam Kloffenstein (65 OVR, B POT).

Salt Lake has sent 23-year-old shortstop Andres Cortes (72 OVR, A POT) to Glendale in exchange for 23-year-old catcher Eliezer Alfonso (74 OVR, C POT). Cortes is the 22nd ranked prospect in the IBL.

Salt River was traded 32-year-old reliever John Rose (79 OVR, B POT) to Austin in exchange for 19-year-old third baseman Julio Ramirez (58 OVR, B POT). Rose was (2-2) with an ERA of 4.41 and 11 holds and one blown save in 34.2 innings of work for the Rafters.

Tucson has sent 37-year old starting pitcher Todd McCallum (79 OVR, B POT) to San Antonio for 21-year-old starting pitcher Paul Bledsoe (67 OVR, C POT), 23-year-old first baseman Grant Lavigne (62 OVR. B POT), and 18-year-old reliever Ian Rayes (60 OVR, C POT). McCallum will likely come out of the bullpen for the Javelinas.

Flagstaff has sent 33-year-old starting pitcher Sam Herzog (88 OVR, B POT) to Austin in exchange for 24-year-old shortstop Tom Cho (73 OVR, B POT). Herzog has been struggling in 2023 with a (6-9) record and 5.11 ERA in 107.1 inning of work as the fourth/fifth starter on the staff. Cho was hitting .379 with a home run and two stolen bases at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The Hops are calling up #2 prospect in the IBL, Russell Fluty to fill Herzog’s spot in the rotation. The 24-year-old Fluty is (2-5) with a 4.79 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in Triple-A this season.

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July 20-23: ST GEORGE (50-50) @ FLAGSTAFF (64-35)
Stadium: AutoZone Park (Capacity: 9,577)

July 20: Archers 3, Hops 0
July 21: Hops 7, Archers 0
July 22: Archers 12, Hops 1
July 23: Archers 14, Hops 3

Flagstaff, AZ (AP) - The red flags are starting to rise as the Hops opened the second half of the season by dropping three of four to St. George at home, being outscored 29-11. The Hops still have a commanding lead in the ML West, but the team has been lousy throughout July after an amazing first four months of the season.

The Hops bats looked like they were still on the All-Star break as they fell 3-0 in the opener to the Archers. Taylor Austin (5-9) scattered two hits over seven innings, striking out seven and walking three to pick up the win.

The Archers would get all of their offense in the second inning on a Harper Reyes three-run home run off of Shoe-Lace O’Tying.

Show-Lace O’Tying (9-5) tossed a complete game, throwing 128 pitches, but lost for the third straight time. He allowed the three runs on nine hits, while striking out seven and not issuing any walks.

The offense was abysmal. The did manage to load the bases in the ninth off of closer Sam Goodman, but Donny Roland flew out to center to end the ball game as Goodman picked up his 11th save.

On Friday night, the Hops bounced back with a 7-0 victory. Ryan Pressley (10-5) tossed the complete game, six-hit shutout, striking out four and walking two.

Donnie Roland singled home Robbie Westbrook in the second to put the Hops on the board. Josh Ortega then hit a three-run home run in the third, his 27th on the season, to put the Hops up 3-0.

David Benitez then salted this one away in the sixth with a three-run home run to left. Benitez would add a sacrifice fly in the eighth for the final run.

Lamont Lawrence (5-8) took the loss for St George. He pitched five innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits.

Saturday afternoon was another forgettable game for the Hops as they were destroyed 12-1. The Archers pounded out 16 hits and hit three home runs in the victory.

There wasn’t much to see if you were a Hops fan as they managed just three hits in the loss and they are now (3-8) in their last 11 games, but still lead the division by 15 games.

Chris Taylor went 3 for 5 with a double, two home runs and four RBIs in the victory for the Archers. Neal Samuels went 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs. Jamaal McCormick hit two doubles and drove in a run, scoring twice.

Juro Yamaguchi (8-5) was torched, allowing eight runs in ten hits in five innings of work.

Alvin Gellman (7-5) picked up the win for St George, allowing one run on three hits in six innings of work. Gifford earned a save as he pitched the final three innings, allowing no baserunners.

In Sunday’s finale, the Archers cruised to a 14-3 victory as they got home runs from six different players to take three of four from the reeling Hops.

Angel Montes led the barrage, going 3 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs, while newcomer Sammy Gomez went 3 for 4 with a double, home run and two RBIs in the win.

Alex Farmer (9-4) took the loss, pitching six inning and allowing five runs on seven hits, while striking out seven. The bullpen was an absolute disaster as Sam Varela and Mark Wirth allowed nine runs on ten hits over the final three innings.

Josh Ortega did hit a solo home run, his 28th on the season, in an otherwise dismal performance from the Hops.

Casey Pack (5-6) picked up the victory for the Archers, allowing one run on six hits in 6.1 innings of work. He struck out six and did not issue a walk.

The Hops will welcome in ML East leading Austin (53-48) tomorrow for a three game series to end the home stand. The Hops are now (6-11) in July.

Around the League: Mesa’s Richard Logan (10-7) tossed eight innings of shutout baseball, allowing three hits while striking out five and walking five, in the Solar Sox 4-0 win over Goodyear.

Juan Caceras homered in his Austin debut, but it wasn’t enough as the Fire Frogs dropped a 14-6 decision in Salt Lake. The Chukars pounded out 15 hits, only four for extra bases, but drew eight walks in the victory.

Salt River’s Tuan Santana went 5 for 5 with two home runs and he drove in five as the Rafters doubled up Gilbert 10-5. Santana is hitting .322 with 19 home runs and 57 RBIs for the Rafters.

Chandler All-Star left fielder Vladimir Bruno suffered an Achilles injury on Saturday afternoon and will be lost for the rest of the season. Bruno had 21 home runs, 65 RBIs and 19 stolen bases at the top of the Chiefs lineup.

Phoenix and Surprise combined for 25 runs, 31 hits, and 12 walks in a wild 13-12 victory for the Saguaros on Saturday afternoon. Ricardo Rodriguez went 3 for 5 and drove in four to help lead Surprise to the win.

San Antonio pounded out 18 hits and drew eight walks in a 21-2 thumping of Yuma. Hunter went 3 for 5 with a double, home run and five RBIs in the victory for the Javelinas.

Las Vegas walked it off in a 10-9 victory over Henderson on Sunday afternoon to pull to within 1.5 games of first place in the DL West. Orlando McIntyre’s solo home run with one-out in the bottom of the ninth sent the Nuggets to the victory as they took two of three from the Silver Knights in the big series to open the second half.

TRADES: The Aliens have traded 31-year-old catcher Gabe Walker (80 OVR, B POT) to the Scorpions for 24-year-old first baseman Solomon McCoy (72 OVR, C POT) and 30-year-old center fielder Ricky Padilla (76 OVR, A POT).

Amarillo sends 25-year-old centerfielder Bradley York (85 OVR, A POT) to Henderson for 25-year-old starting pitcher David Visperas (69 OVR, B POT) and 21-year-old centerfielder Sidney Mateo (51 OVR, B POT).

Chandler has sent 34-year-old catcher Sammy Gomez (84 OVR, B POT) to St. George in exchange for 28-year-old starting pitcher Dino Goddard (79 OVR, D POT) and 28-year-old second baseman John Mouland (75 OVR, C POT).

San Diego has acquired 32-year-old starting pitcher Dante Clarke (72 OVR, C POT) from Amarillo in exchange for 19-year-old starting pitcher Newton White (58 OVR, C POT) and 22-year-old reliever Joe Evans (52 OVR, C POT).

Angel Montes on the Archers are trying to stay in the ML Wild Card race.

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July 24-26: AUSTIN (56-48) @ FLAGSTAFF (64-38)
Stadium: AutoZone Park (Capacity: 9,577)

July 24: Fire Frogs 9, Hops 2
July 25: Fire Frogs 11, Hops 2
July 26: Fire Frogs 8, Hops 3

Flagstaff, AZ (AP) - The slumping Flagstaff Hops were swept by the Austin Fire Frogs to close out the opening home stand of the second half with a (1-6) record. The Fire Frogs outscored the Hops 28-7 in the three game sweep. They also swept the six game season series and improved to (11-2) all-time against the Hops.

The Fire Frogs hit six home runs in the opener and cruised to a 9-2 victory over the Hops in front of a sell out crowd at AutoZone Park. Juan Caceras (18,19) and Luke Jordan (25,26) each homered twice for the first-place Fire Frogs.

Austin scored runs in each of the first five innings and chased Russell Fluty, in his 2023 debut, after just 3 1/3 innings. Fluty (0-1) allowed seven runs on nine hits, while striking out one and walking two, after his call up from Triple-A.

The Fire Frogs also got home runs from Rick Singleton (20) and Hulk Hoagie (24).

David Benitez went 2 for 3 driving in both of the Hops runs on RBI singles.

Edgar Prado (5-10) picked up the win for Austin, pitching eight innings and allowing two runs on six hits as he struck out seven, while walking none.

On Tuesday evening, the Fire Frogs rocked Shoe-Lace O’Tying, chasing him in the fifth, as they clobbered the Hops 11-2. Chris Richardson went 6 for 6 with six singles and drove in two runs.

Art Mason got the Hops off to a quick start as he homered to open the bottom of the first inning. But that was it for Flagstaff.

Austin scored five in the top of the third off of O’Tying, capped off by an Odell Hansen three-run home run. Luke Jordan would add a two-run home run in the fifth, his third in two games and 27th on the season.

Shoe-Lace O’Tying (9-6) surrendered nine runs on 11 hits in four plus innings of work. He struck out five and walked two. Angelo Chacin and Aldo Osuna each allowed a run out of the bullpen.

Pat Eveland (11-4) earned the win for Austin, tossing six innings and allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking one. Kyle Monroe pitched the final three innings to earn his second save.

Art Mason went 3 for 5 with a home run and Josh Ortega homered, his 29th on the season, in the loss. David Benitez went 2 for 3 with a walk. Hulk Hoagie went 4 for 5 with a double and scored twice for the Fire Frogs in their 19 hit attack.

The alarm bells may be sounding as the Hops concluded the three game series by losing the finale 8-3. Juan Caceras once again homered twice (20,21) as the Fire Frogs dismantled the suddenly struggling Hops.

The Hops (64-38) would grab a 1-0 lead in the first on a solo home run from Arturo Mardones, his 13th on the season. But once again, that would be the highlight for the Hops.

Austin (56-48) struck for three in the top of the second, highlighted by a two-run home run from Juan Caceras. The Fire Frogs would score single runs in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings to pull away for the win.

Ryan Pressley (10-6) took the loss, tossing seven innings and allowing six runs on eight hits.

Richie Chappell (8-3) picked up the win for Austin. He pitched seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits.

The Hops will now hit the road as they look to turn things around against last place Prescott (46-57) with their lead in the ML West down to 12 1/2 games over Salt Lake.

Around the League: San Antonio knocked out 19 hits, including five home runs, in a 13-1 victory over Fort Worth. William Suzuki went 3 for 5 with two home runs and six RBIs to help pace the Javelinas.

Mesa’s Logan (11-7) tossed 7.1 innings of shutout baseball, scattering eight hits and striking out seven as the Solar Sox blanked the Roadrunners 4-0. Bobby Rayburn hit solo home runs in the 11th and 12th innings as West Texas rallied to defeat El Paso 7-6. The Bison are (14-7) in July and are now just 1 1/2 games back of the Fire Frogs in the ML East. They hold the second Mountain League Wild Card spot.

Salt Lake’s Julio Cervantes hit a first inning grand slam as the Chukars scored six runs in the inning and held on for a 7-4 victory over St George to retake second place in the ML West from the Archers.

Gilbert’s Gilberto Medrano improved to (13-4) as he tossed 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out six as the Barnstormers defeated Phoenix 6-2.

Mesa ran it’s winning streak to 11 games on Wednesday evening as they rallied to defeat Tucson 8-3. A ninth inning grand slam from Clyde Floyd sealed it as Mesa continues to make a run for the DL East title.

Kian Kuo hit a walk off grand slam as Goodyear rallied to stun Yuma 7-5. The home run was just the second on the year for the 21-year-old third baseman.

Trades: West Texas has acquired 28-year-old reliever Roberto Francisco (88 OVR, B POT)) from Scottsdale in exchange for 24-year-old reliever Preston Monahan (71 OVR, C POT), 25-year-old left fielder B.J. Mendoza (69 OVR, C POT) and 23-year-old shortstop Elmer Samuel (57 OVR, B POT).

Roswell has acquired 28-year-old second baseman Angel Rodriguez (88 OVR, C POT) from Prescott in exchange for 28-year-old center fielder Willie Reece (84 OVR, B OVR) and 30-year-old second baseman Michael McGill (80 OVR, B OVR). Roswell then shipped 25-year-old catcher Joe Gallagher (86 OVR, B OVR) to Surprise in exchange for 24-year-old starter Kyle Brunet (84 OVR, B OVR) and 26-year-old first baseman David Gillet (76 OVR, C OVR).

Newly acquired Juan Caceras homered four times for the Fire Frogs in the three game sweep of the Hops.

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July 27-30: FLAGSTAFF (65-41) @ PRESCOTT (49-58)
Stadium: Dignity Health Park (Capacity: 11,598)

July 27: Hot Shots 5, Hops 2
July 28: Hot Shots 11, Hops 3
July 29: Hops 9, Hot Shots 6
July 30: Hot Shots 2, Hops 1

Prescott, AZ (AP) - The woes for the Hops continue as they drop three of four to last place Prescott to open their road trip. Familiar woes continue to haunt this team as the offense has gone cold and the pitching is suddenly suspect as we edge toward the trade deadline.

The Hops losing streak hit six games on Thursday evening as they dropped the opener of a four game series in Prescott by a score of 5-2. Newly acquired Michael McGill went 3 for 4 with a double and scored twice to help the Hot Shots to the victory.

Flagstaff would jump out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a Josh Ortega RBI double and Skyler Lyons sacrifice fly.

Caesar Zambrano would tie it up in the fourth with a two-out, two-run double. The Hot Shots would take the lead in the fifth on a Matt Olson solo home run, his 20th on the season. A Knapp RBI single in the seventh moved the Hot Shots in front by two and a Noah Wilson RBI double in the eighth made it 5-2.

Dave Powers (7-4) earned the victory pitching six innings and allowing two runs on five hits while striking out four. The bullpen pitched three scoreless and hitless innings with Xavier Doyle earning his third save.

Juro Yamgushi (8-6) was saddled with the loss, lasting only 4 2/3 innings. He gave up three runs on eight hits while striking out four and walking five.

On Friday night the Hot Shots pounded out 17 hits as they cruised to an 11-3 victory, sending the Hops to a season high seventh consecutive loss. Noah Wilson went 4 for 4 with a home run and scored four runs for the Hot Shots.

Prescott would grab a 3-0 lead in the second on a Dave Burnett RBI single and Kevin Tincher two-run double.

The Hops would tie it up at 3-3 in the top of the fourth on a Josh Ortega sacrifice fly, a Robbie Westbrook RBI ground out and an Oscar Aleman solo home run. But that would be it for the Hops.

Prescott got two back in the bottom of the fourth on an Alexis Lerma RBI single and Kevin Tincher RBI single. From that point the Hot Shots would cruise to the victory. Lerma would add an RBI double in the sixth and Tincher a two-run single to make it 8-3. Khris Kovach hit a two-run home run in the eighth to put a cap on the proceedings.

Kelly Wolf (12-6) was credited with the win for Prescott. He pitched six innings, allowing three runs on five hits. Arturo Velasquez pitched the final three innings to earn his first save.

Alex Farmer (9-5) took the loss, lasting only five innings and allowing six runs on 11 hits. Sam Varela then got rocked out of the bullpen, allowing two runs on three hits without recording an out. Aldo Osuna wasn’t much better, allowing three runs on three hits.

Emmitt Hampton went 3 for 4 with a double in the loss.

The Hops ended their season high seven game losing streak on Saturday evening with a 9-6 victory. The Hops knocked out 18 hits to break out of their offensive slump.

Robbie Westbrook got the Hops on the board with an RBI single in the first inning. Khris Kovach would get that back in the bottom half with an RBI single of his own.

Flagstaff retook the lead in the fourth with an RBI single from Donnie Roland and RBI double from Art Mason to go up 3-1.

But Prescott responded by scoring four times off of Russell Fluty. Khris Kovach homered off the left field foul pole, then Dave Burnett singled home Noah Wilson and Michael McGill hit a two-run home run to put the Hot Shots up 5-3.

Flagstaff would tie it up in the sixth on solo home runs from Roberto Geronimo and Forrest Owen. Josh Ortega would hit his league leading 30th home run in the top of the seventh to put the Hops up 6-5. An unearned run in the eighth, thanks to a throwing error from Khris Kovach put the Hops up 7-5. Kovach would get that run back with his second home run of the game, a solo shot, in the bottom of the inning to pull the Hot Shots to within one run.

Robbie Westbrook would hit a big two-run home run in the top of the ninth, his 25th on the season, to seal it.

Vic Miller worked a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his 32nd save and put an end to the Hops losing streak. They will look for a series split on Sunday afternoon in the series finale.

Russell Fluty, in two starts, has struggled since being called up and has an ERA of 13.50 in just eight innings of work.

In the finale, the Hot Shots pulled out a 2-1 victory in a game that featured just seven hits and three solo home runs. Cesar Zambrano and Josh Carroll homered for the home side as they won three of four from the first place Hops.

Flagstaff would grab the lead in the third inning on a solo home run from Donnie Roland. They would manage just one other hit in the ballgame, an Oscar Aleman single.

Meanwhile, Prescott would tie the game up in the fourth on a Cesar Zambrano home run, just his fourth on the season. The Hot Shots would take the lead in the sixth on a Josh Carroll solo home run, his tenth.

Six Prescott pitchers combined to hold the Hops to just two hits, striking out 15 batters and giving up just one walk.

Shoe-Lace O’Tying (9-7) tossed a complete game, allowing five hits and two runs while striking out nine and walking one.

The Hops will next head to Utah to take on St. George (54-53) for a four game series starting on Monday evening.

Around the League: Gilbert reliever Rocco Minton was hit in the head by a line drive and had to leave the game, but the Barnstormers were able to hold on a defeat Santa Fe 2-1.

Carl Lentzkow hit a walk off solo home run as the Chiefs defeated Goodyear 4-3 to maintain their 2 1/2 game lead atop the DL East. Ryan Meger homered twice and drove in three to help Mesa to their thirteenth consecutive win, a 5-2 victory over Phoenix

Glendale pounded out 17 hits, including four home runs, as they crushed Salt River 17-5 to remain atop the DL Central. Scottsdale’s Rickie Blake (9-7) allowed just one hit over eight innings, a solo home run to Jamie Case, striking out ten, as the Scorpions defeated the Snow Sox 5-1.

Phoenix hit five home runs, including two by Jeff Jankowitsch, as they ended Mesa’s 13-game winning streak with a 9-6 victory at Meta Park.

Roswell hit six home runs in a 23 hit attack as they clobbered St George 19-4. The Aliens scored 11 runs in the top of the ninth inning off of four Archer pitchers.

Steve Willis (6-11) struck out 11 in seven innings of work as Long Beach defeated San Diego 5-3.

Robbie Westbrook and the Hops are sliding as the season hits the dog days.

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DEADLINE DAY

Phoenix, AZ (AP) – The Intermountain Baseball League trade deadline was Monday at 3pm. This year there was a flurry of activity as contenders looked to add pieces for a championship run, while some teams looked to unload salary, while acquiring prospects as they look towards the future.

It was a wild day with the Phoenix Firebirds going full scale fire sale.

The Salt Rivers Rafters are shipping 32-year-old starting pitcher Rafael Ortiz (90 OVR, A POT) to Scottsdale in exchange for 25-year-old starting pitcher Willy Bermudez (64 OVR, B POT) and 22-year-old shortstop Steven Fink (66 OVR, A POT).

San Antonio has acquired 35-year-old starting pitcher Angelo Velez (90 OVR, A POT) from Phoenix in exchange for three prospects: 18-year-old second baseman Elden Young (58 OVR, B POT), 24-year-old shortstop Albert Santiago (67 OVR, B POT) and 25-year-old starter Eli Medina (67 OVR, C POT). The move helps the Firebirds shed some salary.

The Firebirds have also shipped out 36-year-old starter Rueben Starr (86 OVR, A POT) to Chandler in exchange for prospects: 19-year-old starter Josh Hunter (68 OVR, C POT) and 18-year-old second baseman Alden Potter (61 OVR, C POT).

Phoenix did not stop there as they shipped 33-year-old catcher Ray Ruiz (84 OVR, B POT) to Salt Lake for 24-year-old catcher Steven McMahan (68 OVR, B POT) and 21-year-old left fielder Earnest Garcia (52 OBVR, B POT).

Long Beach has sent 32-year-old starter Douglas Matsui (85 OVR, B POT) to Fort Worth in exchange for 20-year-old second baseman Willy Blanco (65 OVR, A POT) and 23-year-old first baseman Mark Mayfield (69 OVR, C POT).

San Diego made a big splash as they have traded for Albuquerque’s 30-year-old catcher Dan Rodriguez (96 OVR, A POT). In return the Mariachis will get three prospects: 21-year-old starter John Bozarth (67 OVR, A POT), 24-year-old second baseman Joel Leon (76 OVR, A POT) and 22-year-old third baseman Malcom Nunez (62 OVR, B POT).

The Seals also acquired 34-year-old closer Jimmy Madden (88 OVR, A POT) from Long Beach in exchange for 22-year-old closer Lucas Huff (67 OVR, B POT) and 21-year-old right fielder Charley Richardson (59 OVR, C POT). Long Beach unloads a big salary and San Diego gets a closer that they needed.

Henderson made a move to solidify their rotation as they acquired 35-year-old starter Gilberto Guzman (86 OVR, B POT) from Goodyear in exchange for 24-year-old starter John Doxakis (71 OVR, C POT) and 18-year-old first baseman Andy Jones (61 OVR, B POT).

San Antonio sent 35-year-old starter Andres Montoya (90 OVR, A POT) to Amarillo for 34-year-old reliever Harold Groniga (83 OVR, B POT). The Honey Hunters eat salary but also get a reliable #2 pitcher, while the Javeilnas add to an already solid bullpen.

Flagstaff picked up 30-year-old starter Ramon Garcia (86 OVR, B POT) from Tucson in exchange for three prospects: 24-year-old starter Alejandro Colon (75 OVR, C POT), 20-year-old right fielder Gil Molina (63 OVR, C POT) and 23-year-old second baseman Cody Morissette (63 OVR, C POT). The Hops then sent top pitching prospect Russell Fluty back down to Triple-A Albuquerque after he struggled in two starts.

The San Antonio Javelinas have waived 35-year-old catcher Juan Benitez. They still owe him $20M if he is not claimed, but the club felt that it could not justify that salary for a Triple-A player.

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FRESNO ANNOUNCES TEAM BRANDING

Phoenix, AZ (AP) - The Yuma Dust Devils announced that they would be moving to Fresno, California for the 2024 season back on July 14th. The team has selected a new name and color scheme for their inaugural season in central California. The team will be known as the Fresno Bears with their colors being apple red, black and sand.

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JULY AWARDS:
ML Pitcher of Month: Ron Sposato (Santa Fe) 5-0, 1.69 ERA, 32 K’s
ML Player of Month: Sergio Sierra (Santa Fe, CF) .371, 9 HR, 15 RBI
ML Rookie of Month: Laugton Storey (Salt Lake, RF) .319, 1 HR, 7 RBI
DL Pitcher of Month: Irwin Strawberry (Henderson) 11 app, 11 saves, 0.00 ERA, 12 K’s
DL Player of Month: Tuan Santana (Salt River, 1B) .420, 8 HR, 25 RBI
DL Rookie of Month: Howard Holloway (Yuma, LF) .284, 3 HR, 6 RBI

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August 1-4: FLAGSTAFF (66-44) @ ST GEORGE (57-54)
Stadium: Bank of Utah Park (Capacity: 8,877)

July 31: Hops 2, Archers 1
August 1: Archers 4, Hops 3
August 2: Archers 7, Hops 3
August 3: Archers 3, Hops 0

St. George, UT (AP) - The Flagstaff Hops struggles continued as they closed out their road trip by losing three of four to finish the trip (2-6) and saw their lead in the ML West slip to under ten games.

The Hops opened up their road trip with a 2-1 victory over St. George. Ryan Pressley tossed eight shutout innings, striking out ten, to help the Hops grab the opener.

Flagstaff took a 1-0 lead in the sixth on a Josh Ortega RBI double. They would get a huge insurance run in the top of the ninth on an Oscar Aleman solo home run.

St George would have to face Vic Miller in the bottom of the ninth. They would get a single from Angel Montes and a walk from Scottie Hagar, then a two-out RBI single from Sammy Gomez got the Archers on the board. But Miller got Victor Sixto to ground out to end it as he picked up his 33rd save.

On Tuesday evening, the Archers evened up the series as they rallied for a 4-3 victory. A Juan Dias sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth proved to be the winner as the Archers moved back over .500 with the victory.

St. George would take a 3-0 lead in this one with single runs in the first three innings.

Flagstaff would tie it up in the top of the sixth on a Robbie Westbrook solo home run and a two-run shot from Donnie Roland. The Archers would get that run back in the bottom half on the Diaz sacrifice fly to retake the lead.

Juro Yamaguchi (8-7) took the loss. After a shaky start, he pitched a decent game, going 5 1/3 innings and allowing the four runs on eight hits, while striking out four and walking two. His ERA sits at 4.70 and he is performing below expectations after the Hops signed him to a three-year deal worth over $57M this past offseason.

Alvin Gellman (8-5) earned the win for the Archers, pitching six innings and allowing three runs on seven hits. He struck out six and walked one. The bullpen pitched three scoreless innings with Sam Goodman earning his 15th save as he struck out three and allowed one hit in the ninth.

On Wednesday evening the Archers rallied for a 7-3 victory. Jamaal McCormick went 3 for 4 with a double and two RBI in the win as the Archers pulled to within 10 1/2 games of first place Flagstaff.

The Archers grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second on a Juan Dias RBI double. The Hops scored twice in the top of the third on a Donnie Roland two-run home run, his 10th on the year.

St George would score four times in the bottom of the fifth. Victor Sixto homered to left to tie the game at 2-2, his fourth on the season. Mario Parra lined an RBI single to center. Jamaal McCormick singled home Parra and Harper Reyes added an RBI single to make it 5-2.

A Donnie Roland RBI single in the sixth cut it to 5-3. Roland drove in all three runs for the Hops in the loss.

Back-to-back RBI doubles from Jamaal McCormick and Chris Taylor in the seventh put this one away for St. George. McCormick leads the Mountain League with 84 RBIs.

Alex Farmer (9-6) took the loss, lasting only 4 2/3 innings and allowing five runs on eight hits. Casey Pack (7-6) earned the win for the Archers. He pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, while striking out eight.

In the finale, it was a great pitching performance from Ryan Holland that keyed a 3-0 victory for the Archers. Holland tossed seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits and striking out ten while issuing no walks.

The Archers would get all the offense that they would need in the first inning on a three-run home run from Chris Taylor off of newly acquired Ramon Garcia.

Garcia (7-5) took the loss but was pretty good in his debut. He struck out seven and allowed just five hit in five innings of work. Angelo Chacin was excellent out of the bullpen, allowing just one hit in three innings and striking out four.

The Hops allowed only 15 runs in the four game series, but only scored eight as their offense has gone into hibernation. They will return home to take on Colorado Springs (50-61) tomorrow night in a three game weekend series.

Around the League: West Texas stayed hot as they defeated El Paso 9-4 in a victory that was keyed by a Chase Ponder fourth inning grand slam. Ponder hit for the cycle in the game as the Bison are now just three games back of Austin in the ML East.

Tony Steven hit a walk off solo home run for the Dust Devils as they stunned Las Vegas 4-3. Josh Hawk went 4 for 5 with three RBI doubles as El Paso slowed down West Texas 7-2. Richie Chappell (9-3) tossed eight shutout innings, striking out ten, as Austin defeated Amarillo 3-0.

DL East leading Chandler pounded out 17 hits in a 16-1 victory over slumping San Diego. Newly acquired Jaevan Cooper went 4 for 6 with a double, two home runs and six RBIs in the victory. The win was their tenth straight and moves the Chiefs to thirty games over .500. They have the best record in the IBL at (70-40).

Lee Lim hit a solo home run in the fourth inning to help lead Scottsdale to a 1-0 win over Glendale and move them into a tie for first in the DL Central with the Desert Dogs. Rickie Blake (10-7) tossed eight shutout innings, scattering four hits and striking out nine.

Armando Bermudez (12-7) tossed eight shutout innings, scattering three hits and striking out nine as the Barnstormers defeated Goodyear 4-0. Yuma completed an unlikely three game sweep of Las Vegas with a 4-2 victory on Thursday afternoon. Floyd Rasmussen’s bases clearing triple in the sixth proved to be the game winner for the lame duck Dust Devils.

Amarillo’s Walker (3-0) won a pitcher’s duel against San Antonio’s Gus Woodson (11-7) as the Honey Hunters defeated the Javelinas 1-0. Walker pitched seven shutout innings, scattering five hits and striking out five, while walking four. Woodson allowed just three hits in seven innings of work in a losing effort. Dan Catomer’s second inning home run was the only run of the ballgame.

Jamaal McCormick and the Archers have pulled to within 9 1/2 games on the slumping Hops.