Royals on the Farm 9/5 -- Wilmington done, Bees advance

AA - NW Arkansas: Arkansas 6, Naturals 4

DH Aldridge 2-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, K -- .286
RF McFall 0-3, SF, RBI, K -- .333
CF Duarte 0-3, 2 BB, K, RS -- .143
1B Richardson 1-3, BB, 2B, RS -- .143
2B Maddox 1-3, BB, 2 K, RS, CS -- .167

B. Wood 3 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, BB, K, HRA -- L, 0-1, 18.00 ERA, Mr. Hyde's last appearance of season?
M. Peterson 3 IP, BB, 4 K -- 0.00 ERA
de la Vara 2 IP, 3 K -- 0.00 ERA

*** The Naturals mounted a late rally but it wasn't enough as Arkansas took command of the series. Blake Wood didn't have his best stuff as the Travelers scored 2 runs in the 1st on 3 hits, a walk and a hit batsman. The Naturals responded by loading the bases with none out in the 2nd but got only a Brian McFall sac fly out of the situation. Wood gave up an RBI single and 3-run homer in the 4th and it was 6-1 Arkansas. NWA didn't threaten again until the 8th when they again loaded the bases with none out and got a 1-out run-scoring balk and 2-run double by Cory Aldridge to cut it to 6-4. Aldridge was stranded at third and the Nats went down in order on strikes in the 9th as Rafael Rodriguez picked up his 2nd save in 2 playoff games. Starter Dan Denham got the win with an ER allowed over 7 IP. 1B Mark Trumbo was 2-4 with a HR, 3 RBI, K and RS. C Ben Johnson also had 2 hits for Arkansas.

NWA is down, 2-0, in the best-of-5 set, so have to win to survive tonight in game 3. Rowdy Hardy starts for the Naturals versus Arkansas' David Austen. Frisco swept San Antonio in the TL South finals, so the RoughRiders await the winner of this series.

A-Adv. - Wilmington: Potomac 1, Blue Rocks 0

CF D. Robinson 1-4, S, K -- .143
1B Correll 1-3, BB -- .111
3B J. Johnson 1-4 -- .111
DH Dyson 1-4 -- .250
RF Orlando 0-4, BB, 2 K -- .167
LF Strait 0-4, BB, K -- .000
SS Bianchi 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K -- .417
* The Rocks stranded 12.

Teaford 7 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 9 K, 2 WP -- L, 0-1, 1.29 ERA, hell of a start to end the season on
Chavez 2/3 IP, BB -- 0.00 ERA
Swaggerty 1 1/3 IP, nothing -- 0.00 ERA

*** Ross Detwiler again mystified Wilmington's bats but the Rocks outhit the Nationals, 4-2, only to lose because they couldn't get a run home to save their playoff lives. Wilmington left the bases full in the 1st, stranded 2 more in the 2nd, saw Potomac turn a double into the lone run of the game in the 3rd, then left the bases loaded again in the 6th. They left 'em loaded for a third time in the 7th and then went down in order in the 9th as Josh Wilkie got his 1st save of the playoffs for Potomac. Detwiler worked 5 1/3 scoreless innings for the win. Two Nationals had a hit each and CF Boomer Whiting, who scored the winning run in Potomac's game 1 and 2 extra-inning wins, hit the sac fly that ended up giving the Nationals the game 3 win.

The Rocks are eliminated. They finished the regular season 69-71 overall. Myrtle Beach closed out Winston-Salem today so the Pelicans and Nationals will play for the Carolina League title.

A - Burlington: Bees 9, Kane County 6

DH C. Robinson 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI, K -- .500
C Eigsti 2-4, BB, K, 2 RS -- .400
2B Giavotella 1-5, 2 RBI (3), RS -- .222
SS J. Rivera 2-5, RS, SB (2) -- .286
3B Moustakas 0-3, BB, HBP, RBI, RS -- .143
1B Taylor 1-4, BB, RBI (3), RS -- .375
RF Van Stratten 1-5, RBI (2) -- .125
LF Walton 1-4, HR, RBI, K, RS -- .250
* LF Nick Francis had an OF assist at home.

Caldera 5 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 2 K, WP, balk -- W, 1-0, 3.60 ERA
Bowden IP, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, 2 K -- 18.00 ERA
Bradley 1 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB, K -- 6.75 ERA
Sisk 1 1/3 IP, 2 H, K -- SV, 2, 0.00 ERA

*** Four Kane County errors and some good offensive output helped the Bees survive and advance in the MWL playoffs. Both teams stranded runners before the Bees broke through in the 3rd for 3 runs on a run-scoring Cougar error, a Mike Moustakas RBI groundout and Clint Robinson RBI single. Alex Caldera threw a run-scoring wild pitch and allowed an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to let the Cougars back in the game but Jamar Walton led off the 4th with a homer and Johnny Giavotella hit an RBI single to make it 5-2 Bees. The Bees rallied with 2 out in the 7th as Nick Van Stratten hit an RBI single to make it 6-2. Barry Bowden loaded the bases with none out in the 7th and Tony Bradley was brought in and allowed a 2-run single to cut the lead back to 6-4 before Nick Francis cut the rally short with an OF assist at the plate. With 2 out and the bases loaded in the Burlington 8th, the Bees did their best to put the game away as Jason Taylor took a walk and Robinson hit a 2-run double to make it 9-4. Bradley gave up 2 runs in the 8th before Brandon Sisk was brought in with 1 on and 2 out and stranded 2. He stranded another in the 9th for his 2nd save in 2 playoff games. Cougars SP Scott Hodsdon took the loss with 5 runs (3 ER) allowed over 3 2/3 IP. Four Cougars had 2 hits as RF Todd Johnson drove in 2 runs.

The Bees move on to face the Cedar Rapids Kernels (A Angels) in the MWL Western championship series. The best-of-3 starts tonight in Cedar Rapids as Kelvin Herrera starts vs. Kernels SP Robert Fish. The Bees were 6-8 versus the Kernels this season.

Rookie - Idaho Falls: Chukars 6, Casper 1

2B F. Garcia 2-5, 2 RBI (18), RS, SB (21) -- .238
SS Alfaro 2-4, 2B (22), 2 RS -- .266
1B Espinosa 2-4, K, RS -- .216
LF Griffin 1-3, BB, RBI (30) -- .249
C S. Perez 0-3, SF, RBI (6) -- .395, Bees-bound to start '09?
CF Testa 1-4, 2 K -- .304

Casey 4 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 4 K -- 3.36 ERA
Saito 3 IP, ER, 4 H, BB, 5 K, HRA -- W, 3-4, 4.36 ERA
Gilgenbach IP, 2 K -- 9.59 ERA, pitched all right last few outings
Thompson IP, 3 K -- 3.99 ERA

*** The Chukars finished the year with a good game as a 5-run rally propelled them to the win. Bryan Casey stranded 2 in the 2nd and 4th and the Chukars took command with 5 runs in the 5th on a Carlo Testa RBI single, a 2-run Fernando Garcia single, a run-scoring wild pitch and Shawn Griffin RBI single. Derrick Saito gave up a solo homer in the 5th but stranded 2 in the 6th. Salvador Perez hit a sac fly in the 8th to make it 6-1 and Stephen Gilgenbach and James Thompson finished off the win for Idaho Falls. Casper starter Marco Duarte took the loss with 5 ER allowed over 4 2/3 IP to finish 5-6 with a 5.86 ERA. RF Shane Lowe was 2-3 with a walk, 3B, his 2nd homer, an RBI, K and RS along with his 3rd error.

IF finished the second half 19-19 and was 33-43 overall.