Clinton pummels River Bandits 12-3
CLINTON, Iowa - Clinton starter Lars Huijer limited the River Bandits to two hits in six shutout innings and the LumberKings pounded out 14 hits Thursday in a 12-3 thrashing of Quad Cities at Ashford University Field.
The LumberKings led 3-0 in the fourth with one out when Michael Feliz walked Lonnie Kauppila. Zach Shank then beat out a bunt single down the third base line, and another infield hit, this one to first courtesty of Aaron Barbosa, who went 4-for-5 with two RBIs in the game and 9-for-13 in the series, loaded the bases. Feliz proceeded to walk Jack Reinheimer to bring in the fourth Clinton run of the game. The River Bandits then turned to Chris Cotton, whose first pitch to Chantz Mack was laced off the right field wall to score two more runs, both charged to Feliz (3-2). The right-hander surrendered a career-high six runs on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 3.1 innings.
Clinton really broke the game open in the seventh inning of an 8-0 contest against Quad Cities reliever Andrew Walter. Isaiah Yates, who scored three runs in his Midwest League debut, walked and then moved to second on a wild pitch. On Martin Peguero's single to center, Yates scored to give Clinton a 9-0 advantage. Peguero wound up 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Walter plunked Kauppila with a pitch and then served up a three-run home run to Shank, who drove in four in a 3-for-4 day, to put the LumberKings up a dozen.
Huijer (4-5) recorded just one strikeout, but got Quad Cities to hit into 14 groundouts to earn the win. He walked five.
Anthony Bass worked a perfect sixth inning with two strikeouts in his second rehab outing with Quad Cities.
Quad Cities broke up the shutout when James Ramsay scored on Clinton reliever Dylan De Meyer's wild pitch in the eighth. Tyler White, who was 2-for-3, had an RBI single in the inning and Ronnie Mitchell lifted a sacrifice fly to put three Bandits runs across in the frame.
The LumberKings extended their 1-0 first inning lead in their very next at-bat. After a one-out Yates double, Peguero struck out but then Kauppila singled home Yates. Shank's single moved Kauppila to second before Barbosa's base hit scored the Clinton second baseman to make it 3-0.
The River Bandits will begin a five-game, four-day series at Peoria tomorrow with Edison Frias (4-3, 6.09 ERA) on the mound against the Chiefs' Chase Brookshire (2-3, 5.06).
UP NEXT: Back-to-back fireworks nights kick of the Fourth of July weekend at Modern Woodmen Park. The ballpark will open Thursday, July 3, for the annual Red, White and Boom Fireworks, and the River Bandits will have Fourth of July Fireworks presented by Smart Toyota of the Quad Cities, WLLR and WQAD following the 7 p.m. game on Friday, July 4. Game tickets are available at www.riverbandits.com. To order any of the River Bandits 2014 ticket plans - with new lower prices - call the River Bandits box office at 563-324-3000. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $40. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.
ABOUT THE BANDITS: Having just been named Ballpark Digest's winner of Best Ballpark Improvement in America under $1 million, the River Bandits ownership recently made one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 105 feet over the playing field, opened May 24, and Space Camp opened June 20. Soon to come is another new ride, this one called a "Drop and Twist." In 2013, the team unveiled a new 220-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, and a number of new bounce houses. Last season, the team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The River Bandits were one of three affiliates to reach the championship round and one of two to win their league championship.