Royals on the Farm 4/7

AAA - Omaha: O-Royals 7, Round Rock 5

3B Smith 2-3, BB, 2 HR (3), 4 RBI (9), SB, 2 RS -- .381
1B Stodolka 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, K -- .545, keeps on hitting
SS Berroa 2-4, 2 2B (3), K, E (1), RS -- .368, snaps errorless streak
CF Costa 2-5, 2B (2), K, RS, SB -- .286
DH Shealy 0-4, 2 K -- .211
LF Lubanski 0-3, BB, 2 K, RS -- .313
2B Aviles 0-4 -- .318
C Tupman 0-2, 2 BB, RS, PB (2) -- .333
RF Hollins 0-3, BB, K, RS -- .267

Maroth 4 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, BB, K, HRA, WP -- ND, 6.75 ERA
Salmon 3 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 3 K -- W, 2-0, 1.50 ERA
Tsao 2 IP, ER, H, 2 K, HRA -- SV, 1, 9.00 ERA

*** Two 3-run innings propelled Omaha to the win. Mike Maroth made his first official start for the organization and gave up a leadoff homer to Express RF Reggie Abercrombie in the first AB of the game. He stranded 1 after Angel Berroa snapped his 53-game errorless streak in the inning. Shane Costa led off the Omaha 1st with a double and, with 2 out and 2 on, Jason Smith drilled a homer to right to make it 3-1 O-Royals. Maroth allowed a run on a 2-out wild pitch in the 3rd and then gave up the tying run on 2 hits and a walk in the 4th. Omaha surged back ahead in the bottom of the 4th as Mike Stodolka hit a 3-run bases-loaded double to make it 6-3. Smith cranked another homer with 2 out in the 5th to make it 7-3 but reliever Brad Salmon allowed a Round Rock run on 2 hits and a walk in the 7th. Chin-hui Tsao made his organizational debut in the 8th and allowed a leadoff homer to 1B Lance Niekro (that's Joe's son) but retired the next 6 straight to pick up the save. Express starter Chad Reineke took the loss with 3 1/3 IP of 6 ER on 5 hits, 3 BB and 2 Ks to set a 16.20 ERA. Express C J.R. House was 3-4 with his 2nd double and 3rd RBI and three other players had 2-hit games for Round Rock.

Omaha is 3-2. Game 2 of the set is tonight as lefty Jorge de la Rosa starts for Omaha vs. Round Rock lefty Josh Muecke (1-0, 1.80).

AA - Northwest Arkansas: Corpus Christi 8, Naturals 7 (12)

LF Valentin 4-4, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI (4), 2 RS -- .500, and they pinch ran for him in the 8th! What?
1B Kaaihue 1-5, HR, 3 RBI (6), 2 K, RS -- .227
RF McFall 1-5, RBI (3), 2 K -- .231
CF-LF Suero 2-5, BB, 2 SB, picked off -- .200
SS Sanchez 2-6, 2 RS -- .211
3B Lisson 0-5, HBP, K, RS -- .056, off to very rough start
DH Richardson 1-5, BB, 2 K, RS -- .318

B. Johnson 4 1/3 IP, 6 ER, 11 H, K, HRA -- ND, 12.46 ERA, ouch
Lowery 3 1/3 IP, H, BB, 2 K -- 0.00 ERA
De La Cruz 2 2/3 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, K, HRA -- BS, 1, 1.59 ERA
Mildren IP, ER, 2 H -- L, 0-1, 2.25 ERA

*** Corpus Christi got some 2-out magic in the 9th to force extras and then got the win in the 12th to drop NW Arkansas to 1-4. The Naturals came out firing with 3 runs in the 1st on a 2-out, 3-run homer by Kila Kaaihue for his 1st of the season, but Naturals SP Blake Johnson gave up 2 hits and a sac fly in the Hooks 1st to cut the lead to 3-1. Three singles scored 1 run for Corpus Christi to start the 2nd and Johnson served up a 3-run jack to C Lou Santangelo to make it 5-3 Hooks. With 2 out and 2 on in the NW Arkansas 3rd, Geraldo Valentin slapped his 2nd double of the game and drove home 2 to tie the game. Brian McFall followed with an RBI single and the Naturals had a 6-5 lead. Valentin came through again in the 5th with a solo homer for his 1st of the season to pad the lead to 7-5. Johnson allowed a run on 2 hits and an unsuccessful fielder's choice by Angel Sanchez and was pulled with a 7-6 lead and 1 out in the 5th. Devon Lowery came in and was solid for 3 1/3 innings, including inducing a double play line drive to end the rally. Valentin singled in the 8th and was pulled for PR Jose Duarte only a triple short of the cycle. He would have had another chance, as Julio De La Cruz came in to pitch for the Nats with 2 outs in the 8th and, with 2 out in the 9th, allowed a solo homer to Hooks 2B Rob Cosby to dramatically tie the game. The game went to the 12th as Paul Mildren got the last 2 outs for NW Arkansas in the 11th. Mildren allowed a leadoff single to Cosby in the 12th and then a 1-out single by Hooks CF Eli Iorg ended it after Cosby had been sacrificed to second. RP Chris Blazek got the win for Corpus Christi with 2 IP of a hit and K to move to 2-0 while Hooks SP Sean Walker allowed 6 ER on 8 hits, a walk and 3 Ks over 4 IP to make his ERA 13.50. Santangelo, Cosby and 3B Chris Johnson all had 3-hit games as Cosby's 2 RBI gave him 10 on the season. Iorg was also 2-6 with the GW RBI.

NW Arkansas is 1-4. The series concludes tonight as Naturals SP Carlos Rosa (0-0, 4.50 ERA) starts versus Hooks SP Brad James (0-0, 3.00).

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Myrtle Beach 5, Blue Rocks 4

C Morizio 2-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI, K, E (1) -- .286
3B J. Johnson 1-3, BB, RBI, K, RS -- .400
DH Dickerson 1-2, BB, HBP, 2B, RS, SB (3) -- .286
CF D. Robinson 1-5, 3 K, CS, OF assist at home -- .176
SS Bianchi 0-4, 2 K, E (1) -- .071
1B D. Wood 0-3, BB, 2 K, RS -- .083

Godin 3 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 4 BB, 2 K, WP -- ND, 9.82 ERA
Haltiwanger 2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, K -- 0.00 ERA
de la Vara 3 1/3 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 2 K -- L, 0-2, 6.23 ERA

*** The Rocks offense stopped producing after the 4th and a late run gave the Pelicans the win and 3 out of 4 in the season-opening series. Rocks starter Jason Godin ran into trouble in the 2nd as he allowed 2 runs on 2 doubles and a walk. The Blue Rocks fought back with 3 in their half on an RBI single by Josh Johnson and a 2-run double by Matt Morizio to make it 3-2 Wilmington. Godin struggled again in the 3rd as a single, steal and RBI single tied the game. The Pelicans moved ahead in the 4th on a walk and 2 singles as Derrick Robinson saved a run by nailing a runner at the plate and Godin was pulled for Russ Haltiwanger with 2 out. The Rocks tied it in the bottom of the 4th as Morizio hit a 1-out RBI double to chase Pelicans SP Ryne Reynoso. Morizio was stranded at second, however, and the game stayed tied into the 8th. Gilbert de la Vara replaced Haltiwanger with the bases loaded and 2 out in the 6th and got out of the jam. With 2 out and a runner at second in the Pelicans 8th, Myrtle Beach CF Gorkys Hernandez hit a clutch RBI single to give the Pelicans the lead. The Rocks got 2 on with 2 out in the 9th but Robinson grounded into a force out to end the game and give Pelicans reliever Kevin Gunderson his 1st save. Pelicans reliever Chris Vines got the win with 3 2/3 IP of a hit, walk and 5 Ks to move to 1-0 with a spotless ERA. Reynoso allowed 4 ER on 4 hits, 2 BB and 6 Ks over 3 1/3 IP to set a 10.80 ERA. Pelicans LF Willie Cabrera was 2-4 with a double and 2 RBI (3) to move to .250 while 3B Paul Bennett and Hernandez both had 2 hits.

The Rocks are 1-3 and already 1 1/2 games back. A 3-game set at the Salem Avalanche (2-1, A-Adv. Astros) starts tonight. The Avalanche roster features 'Stros prospects C Koby Clemens and OF Jordan Parraz. Rocks righty Mario Santiago was set to face Avs righty Corey Bass. The Rocks have struck out 48 times in 4 games.

A - Burlington: Kane County 13, Bees 5

1B C. Robinson 2-3, HR (3), 2 RBI (4), RS -- .375
3B Taylor 1-3, 2 BB, 2B, 2 RBI, K, RS -- .143
SS Moustakas 1-4, BB, 2 K -- .190
RF Walton 1-5, 2B, RBI, 3 K -- .167
LF Ortiz 2-4, 3B, 2 K -- .450, off to nice start
CF Lough 1-5, 2 K, 2 RS, SB -- .200
*The Bees stranded 12.

Peterson 3 IP, 8 ER, 10 H, BB, 3 K, 2 HRA -- L, 0-1, 24.00 ERA, yowza
Abreu 3 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, BB, 5 K, WP -- 12.00 ERA
Bradley IP, 2 H, K -- 0.00 ERA
Arias IP, UER, H, BB, K -- 0.00 ERA

*** A horrible 1st for starter Zach Peterson set the stage for a Kane County rout in the opener with Burlington. Adrian Ortiz led off the game for the Bees with a triple but, amazingly, didn't score as only Mike Moustakas walked and the other 3 batters in the inning K'd to end the threat. Peterson's 1st went single, swinging K, steal, RBI single, 2-run homer by 1B Greg Dowling, single, fly out, single, 3-run homer by RF Toddric Johnson (his 2nd), walk, swinging K and, just like that, the Bees were down, 6-0. Clint Robinson led off the 2nd with his 3rd homer of the season to cut it to 6-1. The Bees loaded the bases with 0 outs in the 3rd and Robinson singled home a run before the Bees left the bases full. Peterson allowed 2 more runs on 3 hits and a sac fly in the 3rd and was mercifully pulled to start the 4th. The game stayed 8-2 Cougars into the 6th when Kane County piled on 4 more runs off RP Juan Abreu on 5 hits, a walk and wild pitch. Burlington rallied in the 7th for 3 runs on a 2-run double by Jason Taylor and a Jamar Walton RBI double but would get no closer. RP Henry Arias allowed an unearned run on a walk, hit and Antonio Jimenez error to make it 13-5 and the Bees again stranded the bases full in the 9th. Cougars RP Justin Friend picked up the win with 3 IP of 3 UER on 2 hits, 2 BB and 6 Ks to move to 2-0 with a 0 ERA. Starter Scott Mitchinson allowed 2 runs (1 ER) on 5 hits, 3 BB and 8 Ks over 4 IP to make his ERA 2.25. Johnson was 4-5 and a double short of the cycle to go with 4 RBI to move to .389 and Dowling was 4-5 and a triple short of the cycle with 3 RBI to move to .588. Two other Cougars had 3-hit games.

The Bees are 2-3 and 3 games back of the Cougars. Today's game versus Kane County has been rained out and will be made up tomorrow.