Minor League Report (5/3): Royals Affiliates Split A Sunday Slate

The Quad Cities River Bandits and Columbia Fireflies posted wins on Saturday, with Asbel Gonzalez and Derlin Figueroa each launching two home runs in a 12-3 Quad Cities romp. Emmanuel Reyes worked five innings of two-run ball for the win. Columbia's five-run first carried Kendry Chourio's four-strikeout start to victory. Omaha fell 14-8 despite Luca Tresh's 4-for-5 day, and Northwest Arkansas dropped a 7-6 heartbreaker as Hunter Owen took the loss.

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Storm Chasers Drop Slugfest To Bats Despite Tresh's Four-Hit Effort

Omaha fell 14-8 to Louisville on Saturday, undone by a Bats lineup that pulled away with a six-run seventh inning.

Cleanup hitter Luca Tresh paced the Storm Chasers offense, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs, and two RBIs. Abraham Toro added two hits, including a two-run homer, while Kameron Misner went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, and an RBI. The Storm Chasers tied the game in the third inning, when Misner tripled home Tyler Tolbert, Tresh doubled in Misner, and Toro followed with a two-run shot to right field that knotted things 4-4.

Louisville broke the game open in the seventh, scoring six runs on three hits, three walks, and a string of small mistakes that turned a tight game into a comfortable lead. Starter Aaron Sanchez took the longest turn for Omaha, allowing four runs on six hits over three innings, walking two and striking out three. Anthony Gose struggled with command in his outing, walking five over two-thirds of an inning, and Chazz Martinez allowed six runs on three hits in his lone inning of work. Helcris Olivárez and Steven Cruz combined for two scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

The Storm Chasers stranded ten runners on base.

Naturals' Late Rally Falls One Run Short In Loss

Northwest Arkansas dropped a 7-6 decision to Springfield on Saturday despite a three-run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning that brought the Naturals within one.

Leadoff hitter Carson Roccaforte went 2-for-5 with a triple, an RBI, and a stolen base, while Jack Pineda added two hits, including a solo home run and an RBI triple.

The Naturals scored their first three runs in the second inning, when Pineda homered, Canyon Brown singled, and Roccaforte cashed in another run with a single. After Springfield went ahead in the third with a four-run inning, Northwest Arkansas mounted its final push in the eighth. Brett Squires reached on an error, Daniel Vazquez walked, and Spencer Nivens reached on another error that allowed two runs to come home. Pineda then tripled to bring in Nivens and trim the deficit to one, but the rally ended with a groundout.

Owen took the loss for Northwest Arkansas, allowing four runs on six hits in three innings with three strikeouts. Zachary Cawyer threw two scoreless frames out of the bullpen, and Brandon Johnson finished with a scoreless inning and a third. The Naturals committed one error and struck out ten times.

Gonzalez And Figueroa Each Slug Two Homers In River Bandits Rout

Quad Cities pounded Wisconsin 12-3 on Saturday behind a pair of two-homer nights from Gonzalez and Figueroa. Gonzalez finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored, while Figueroa went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs.

Tyriq Kemp added two hits, two RBIs, and two stolen bases. Cleanup hitter Luke Pelzer went 2-for-5 with a triple and two runs, and Angel Acosta also collected two hits and an RBI. The River Bandits broke a 1-2 deficit open with a three-run fourth, when Pelzer tripled, Jose Cerice doubled him in, an error allowed Cerice to score, and Acosta singled in Kemp. Quad Cities tacked on three more in the fifth, with Gonzalez leading off with his second homer of the year and Figueroa following with a two-run shot.

Gonzalez added a second homer in the eighth, capping a five-RBI night between the two power bats. Starter Emmanuel Reyes earned the win with five innings of two-run ball, allowing four hits, walking one, and striking out five. Kamden Edge tossed an inning and a third of scoreless relief with three strikeouts. The River Bandits stranded seven runners.

Five-Run First Sends Fireflies Past Pelicans

Columbia jumped on Myrtle Beach for five runs in the first inning and never trailed in a 7-3 win on Saturday.

The Fireflies opened the game with a Henry Ramos single, a Yandel Ricardo hit-by-pitch, and a Josh Hammond walk to load the bases. Cleanup hitter Brooks Bryan walked in the first run, Sean Gamble walked in the second, Hyungchan Um walked in the third, and Roni Cabrera capped the inning with a two-run single. Bryan finished 1-for-3 with two walks, two RBIs, two stolen bases, and a run scored. Hammond went 1-for-3 with a double, two walks, and two runs. Connor Rasmussen added two hits and an RBI, while Cabrera also drove in two.

Starter Kendry Chourio worked three and two-thirds innings for Columbia, allowing one run on three hits with no walks and four strikeouts, the lone blemish a solo home run. Jordan Woods earned the win, allowing two runs on three hits over three innings with five walks and eight strikeouts.

Andy Basora picked up a hold with an inning and a third of scoreless relief and two strikeouts, and Max Martin finished the night with a clean ninth. The Fireflies stole seven bases and stranded ten runners.

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Carter Jensen: DNP
2. Blake Mitchell: 1-for-3, BB, R, K
3. David Shields: DNP
4. Kendry Chourio: 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 HR
5. Ben Kudrna: DNP
6. Sean Gamble: 0-for-3, 2 BB, R, K
7. Josh Hammond: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 BB, 2 R
8. Ramon Ramirez: DNP
9. Drew Beam: DNP
10. Asbel Gonzalez: 2-for-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 3 K
11. Yandel Ricardo: 0-for-4, R, SB
12. Felix Arronde: DNP
13. Luinder Avila: DNP
14. Daniel Vázquez: 0-for-3, BB, R, K
15. Steven Zobac: DNP
16. Carson Roccaforte: 2-for-5, 3B, RBI, R, SB, 2 K
17. Blake Wolters: DNP
18. Michael Lombardi: DNP
19. Warren Calcaño: DNP
20. Frank Mozzicato: DN

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