Former I-Cub Snyder Leads RedHawks Past Cubs
Oklahoma City stranded runners in scoring position during the first and second innings before tallying the game's first run in the fourth, on Matt Dominguez's sacrifice fly to score former Iowa Cub Brad Snyder.
The Cubs grabbed the lead with a three-run seventh inning. Dave Sappelt belted a two-run triple off the wall in right-center scoring Adrian Cardenas and Blake Lalli to plate Iowa on the board. Oklahoma City intentionally walked Jim Adduci and brought in right-hander Brian Sanches to face Iowa's No. 8 hitter Brian Esposito with one out. Esposito answered with an RBI-single in between short and third scoring Sappelt.
The RedHawks regained the lead in the eighth off of the rehabbing Blake Parker. Jimmy Paredes drilled an RBI-triple down the line in right and came around to score on Snyder's two-run home run to straightaway center field.
Oklahoma City added two more runs in the ninth. Marc Krauss laid down a sacrifice bunt that was thrown away by catcher Espositio, allowing Brian Bixler to score from first and Krauss to reach second base. Krauss would come around to score on Carlos Corporan's ground-rule double.
Horacio Ramirez did not figure in the decision, despite delivering his second quality start in as many tries as an I-Cubs. The southpaw allowed one run on seven hits in seven innings of duty. Parker (1-1) allowed three runs on three hits, despite striking out the side in the eighth to suffer the loss. Jairo Asencio allowed two runs, both unearned, on one hit in the ninth.
Sanches (1-2) pitched one and two-thirds scoreless innings to earn his first win as a RedHawk this season.
The Cubs send Ryan Rowland-Smith (3-4) to the mound against the RedHawks' Jose Cisnero (2-1) in game two of the four-game set tomorrow night at Principal Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on AM 940 beginning with the On-Deck Circle Pre-Game Show at 6:45 .m.