LumberKings Late Rally Spoils Altamirano's Gem

A five-run seventh inning proved to be too much to overcome as the Beloit Snappers (9-8) dropped game two of the series 8-6 to the Clinton LumberKings (13-6) at Pohlman Field before 569 fans Saturday evening.

The LumberKings entered the seventh inning trailing 6-1, before a five-run rally tied the game at six. Snappers reliever Josh Reagan came on in the seventh inning and was not greeted fondly by Clinton's bats. Ryan Costello started the rally with a RBI double platting Johhny Adams to make the score 6-2 Snappers at the time. Eugene Helder then singled home Costello to cut the Snappers lead in half.
Greifer Andrade then sent a two-run home run to left field to bring the LumberKings within a run. After retiring Ryan Scott and Joseph Rosa with groundouts, Ariel Sandoval drove home Billy Cooke with a RBI double to tie the game at 6, and end the day for Reagan. Jesus Zambrano was then summoned out of the Snappers bullpen and induced a groundout to end the inning.
Zambrano allowed two runs in the top of the eighth inning, as Costello doubled home Johnny Adams, and Helder scored Costello on an RBI groundout. Zambrano was ultimately tabbed with the loss, as the right-hander surrendered two runs on three hits in 1.1 innings pitched.
Snappers starter Xavier Altamirano was dealing early and often, holding the LumberKings bats at bay through six innings of work. The right-hander surrendered just one run in the top of the second inning on a Helder RBI single, and Altamirano notched a season-high seven strikeouts while scattering four hits over the six innings.
Altamirano retired a string of nine batters in a row from the third out in the third inning, all the way till two outs in the top of the sixth.
The Snappers offense opened up an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, as every Snappers batter would have an at-bat in the opening frame. Jordan Devencenzi plated the games first run with an RBI single to left scoring Mickey McDonald who singled earlier in the inning. Jack Meggs then roped a two-run double with the bases loaded to score Hunter Hargrove and Devencenzi before Trace Loehr scored on a wild pitch.
The Snappers then added a pair of runs in the third inning, as Meggs plated Devencenzi on a RBI groundout after Hargrove scored on a wild pitch.
The five-run comeback for the LumberKings is their largest comeback effort of the season, and it is also the largest blown lead of the year for the Snappers.
McDonald and Devencenzi both register two-hit games, as for McDonald, he registers his eighth multi-hit game in 14 games played this season.
The series continues with the rubber match of the three-game set Sunday afternoon. The Snappers will send left-hander Jared Poche (0-0, 0.93) and the LumberKings will send right-hander Ryne Inman (1-1, 2.63). It is the first BOGO Sunday of the season, check the Wednesday Edition of the Stateline News, Janesville Messenger, & Walworth County Shopper for your BOGO Coupon for Reserved Seat tickets (up to two free tickets per coupon) to Sunday home games. Following the game, kids 12 & under get to run the bases & fans of all ages can play catch in right field, courtesy of Mercyhealth. Leinie's 12-oz. cans and 16-oz PBR cans are just $2.
 
The Beloit Snappers are a member of the Midwest League and have been the Single-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics since 2013. For more ticket information, contact the Snappers office at (608) 362-2272 or on our website, www.snappersbaseball.com.