FARGO, N.D. ⁠— On a chilly night for baseball, the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks were held scoreless in a potential championship-clinching Game 4 of the AAPB Finals on Wednesday night as the Milwaukee Milkmen won 3-0 and tied the best-of-five series at 2-2. The RedHawks had five hits in the loss, none of which went for extra bases, and only reached scoring position twice. Milwaukee center fielder Bryan Torres went 3-for-5 with a triple, stole a base, and scored two runs for the Milkmen.

Milwaukee starter Christian Young (1-0) and relievers Frankie Bartow and Rodrigo Benoit shut down the RedHawks right from the first inning to the end as Young allowed just two hits and two walks and struck out seven batters in five innings pitched and earned his first win of the postseason. Bartow entered the game in the sixth inning and allowed three hits over three innings pitched before turning the ball over to Benoit in the bottom of the ninth. The Milkmen closer struck out two batters in a three-up three-down inning and earned his fourth save in as many appearances this postseason.

The Dairy Deliverers’ scored a run each in the third, fifth, and sixth innings, two of which came on RBI singles from second baseman Miguel Gomez and right fielder Carl Chester. The other Milkmen run came on a throwing error to third base from catcher Christian Correa which allowed Bryan Torres to score after a stolen base. Eight of the nine Milwaukee batters earned at least one hit in the game. Catcher Hector Sanchez hit a double and was the only other batter outside of Torres with an extra-base hit.

RedHawks’ starting pitcher Peyton Wigginton (1-1) allowed three runs (two unearned) on eight hits and two walks despite striking out four batters in five innings pitched. Reid Birlingmair, Joe Jones, and Trevor Simms also pitched an inning of relief each for Fargo-Moorhead. Birlingmair and Jones allowed a hit each in their appearance as Jones also struck out two batters in his two innings pitched.

Fargo-Moorhead and Milwaukee will play a winner-take-all Game 5 of the American Association Finals tomorrow night at Newman Outdoor Field. LHP Kevin McGovern (0-2, 5.78 ERA) will start in Game 5 for the RedHawks and will face Milwaukee right-handed starter A.J. Schugel (3-0, 0.50 ERA). Fargo-Moorhead is 5-5 all-time in potential championship-clinching games. Their last loss prior to tonight was in 2005, when they lost three straight to Gary in the NL Finals after winning the first two games at Newman Outdoor Field.

BOXSCORE

# # #