Jaxx Groshans hits four homers as Railroaders split series with Milwaukee

CLEBURNE – The Cleburne Railroaders (22-19) were at home last week playing the Milwaukee Milkmen (21-18) in a six-game series at La Moderna Field. Cleburne won three of the six games, producing a lot of offense with a good amount coming from DH/catcher Jaxx Groshans. 

There was no lack of offense in this series, by either team, with Cleburne outscoring Milwaukee 45-28 in the six-game series, despite the series split. In the three losses for Cleburne, they lost by a combined four runs while winning three games by a combined 21 runs.

Jaxx Groshans was the offensive firepower for Cleburne, hitting four home runs in the series. Groshans had a streak of reaching base safely in 13 straight games before failing to reach base safely in Cleburne's 9-4 win on Saturday.

Carter Aldrete went 8-for-25 in the series with two walks. Aldrete has 10 home runs and 28 RBI's on the year and has a modest seven game hitting streak.

Unofficial team captain and veteran Hill Alexander recorded multiple three-hit games, both in Cleburne wins, one on Wednesday and the other on Friday. Alexander went 6-for-22 in the series with seven RBI's and is on pace to match his 70 RBI total from last season with 28 RBI's so far this season.

Now on a nine-game hit streak, Bret Boswell recorded eight hits in the series with two RBI's. Boswell has six home runs and 22 RBI's so far for Cleburne this season.

Antonio Velez (1-2) got the starting nod in the first and last games of this series going 0-2 in Tuesday's 6-4 loss and Sunday's 8-7 loss. Velez pitched 10 innings giving up 10 runs off 17 hits in his two starts this series.

Luke Boyd (2-0) earned a win for Cleburne in Wednesday's 14-1 blowout. Boyd pitched five innings, giving up just one unearned run off six hits. Boyd has a 3.97 ERA in 22-2/3 innings pitched this season.

Johnathon Tripp (2-0) got a no decision after going six innings in Thursday's 4-3 loss, giving one run off two hits. Tripp has seven starts for Cleburne recording a 4.30 ERA so far this year.

Jacques Pucheu (4-1) was the starting pitcher in a wild 8-5 win for Cleburne on Friday night that featured a back and forth,  come from behind win for Cleburne. 12 batters came to the plate for Cleburne in the bottom of the 8th with Jaxx Groshans hitting a home run to start out the seven run inning.

Cleburne made some moves last week transforming their bullpen, signing relievers Beau Burrows, Brady Puckett and Jacob Gilliland and trading for Kade Mechals from Sioux City. The club also released pitchers Kasey Kalich and Justin Kleinsorge. Burrows spent some time in the minors with the Phillies organization while Mechals played in the White Sox organization. Puckett spent five seasons pitching in the Marlins organization.

Mechals pitched three shutout innings in as many appearances. Gilliland appeared in two games with two shutout innings and four strikeouts. Burrows struggled in three appearances giving up five earned runs and striking out six in three innings of work. Puckett gave up two runs in two innings in his only appearance on Sunday.

After this series, Cleburne is tied with Milwaukee for second place in the East Division, 2-1/2 games behind the Kane County Cougars. Cleburne will now head north this week to take on the first-place Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (24-15) in a three-game series starting on Tuesday before going to Kansas City for a weekend series against the Monarchs. Fargo-Moorhead is coming off a Canadian road trip where they split their six-game series against Winnipeg.