A night that featured nearly 25 mile-per-hour winds in Beloit led to a whacky back-and-forth affair at Pohlman Field on Friday. Although the Snappers mounted an exciting eighth-inning rally, the LumberKings ended up having the final word, scoring three runs in the ninth to best the Snappers 8-6.
A night that featured nearly 25 mile-per-hour winds in Beloit led to a whacky back-and-forth affair at Pohlman Field on Friday. Although the Snappers mounted an exciting eighth-inning rally, the LumberKings ended up having the final word, scoring three runs in the ninth to best the Snappers 8-6.
Neither squad played the cleanest of baseball, perhaps due to the chilly conditions: Clinton and Beloit combined to issue 19 walks on the night while making eight errors in the field.
The Snappers got off to a great start on both sides of the ball. Thanks to several early miscues from the LumberKings, Beloit scored a run in each of the first three innings, highlighted by A's No. 16 prospect Marcos Brito's RBI single in the second and a bases-loaded walk to Logan Farrar in the third. Clinton starter George Soriano (0-0, 1.42 ERA) was pulled after issuing four walks in that third inning; he lasted just 2 1/3 while allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits. Soriano walked five and struck out two.
His mound opponent, Aiden McIntyre (0-0, 4.05 ERA), was just the opposite through the first three innings. McIntyre struck out the first five batters he faced was perfect through 2 2/3 innings before running into control issues. He walked three straight hitters with two outs in the third, but ultimately struck out Jerar Encarnacion to end the threat. McIntyre's day was done after 3 1/3 innings: he allowed a run on just one hit while striking out seven.
Clinton rallied to take its first lead of the night against tandem starter Daniel Martinez, on in relief of McIntyre, in the fifth inning. Encarnacion and J.D. Osborne hit back-to-back one-out knocks to tie the game at 3-3 before a Demetrius Sims sacrifice fly gave the LumberKings the lead later in the inning.
The LumberKings tacked on another on a bases-loaded walk to Marlins No. 5 prospect Connor Scott in the seventh inning, but the Snappers answered back in the eighth. Ryan Gridley doubled in Farrar to bring Beloit within a run, and then Lester Madden knotted the game with an RBI double of his own two batters later. Payton Squier gave the Snappers what proved to be a short-lived 6-5 lead with a sacrifice fly.
Beloit reliever Calvin Coker, who converted his first save opportunity of the season in Burlington on April 9, could not do the same on Friday night. Clinton quickly loaded the bases against the right-hander before he uncorked a wild pitch that tied the game at 6-6. A sacrifice fly from Marlins No. 28 prospect Christopher Torres gave the LumberKings the lead, and then Encarnacion ripped an RBI double for insurance.
Although the Snappers' bullpen struggled for the most part- Martinez gave up four runs (three earned) while walking four and plunking two hitters in his 3 2/3 innings of work- right-hander Eric Mariñez struck out the side in an electric eighth inning. Aside from a rough inning from right-hander C.J. Carter, Clinton received solid work from relievers Tyler Jones (2 2/3 IP, 0 R, 5 K), Humberto Mejia (2 IP, 0 R, 2 K) and Steven Farnworth, who recorded the save in the ninth. The LumberKings' pitching staff was, for the most part, able to work around the alarming 11 walks they issued on the night.
The Snappers look to even this three-game set tomorrow at 4 p.m. CT. Righty Reid Birlingmair (0-0, 4.91 ERA) will go for Beloit opposed by Clinton right-hander Peyton Culbertson (0-0, 1.59 ERA).
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 visit our website, www.snappersbaseball.com
