MWL1 Clinton LumberKings

Czyz Clips Chiefs with Seven Strong Innings

Published on August 23, 2010 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Clinton LumberKings News Release


Clinton, IA - Left-hander Nick Czyz gave the Peoria bats fits over seven innings Monday night, limiting the Chiefs to just a run on four hits over 7.0 innings as his Clinton LumberKings won, 3-1 at Alliant Energy Field. Vinnie Catricala tied the game with a solo home run in the sixth and Mickey Wiswall's seeing-eye single won it in the seventh.

Czyz (W, 4-4) rebounded from back-to-back losses, pitching what was his best game as a LumberKing to-date. Peoria scored a run right away in the first as Logan Watkins tripled to center and scored on a groundout by Matt Cerda, but the former Kansas Jayhawk settled in and allowed only three hits and two walks the rest of the way.

The outing was not without peril, however. Czyz walked Cerda to start the fourth before inducing Justin Bour into a well-turned 6-4-3 double-play. In the seventh, the Chiefs threatened to break a 1-1 tie with runners at every base and one out. Czyz again escaped as George Matheus lined to shortstop Nick Franklin, who tossed quickly to Luis Nunez at second, doubling off Brandon May.

The Kings then seized that momentum, finding two-out offense in the seventh. Peoria left-hander Austin Kirk struck out James Jones with two outs, but a wild pitch on strike three put the speedy right-fielder at first base. Right-hander Yohan Gonzalez was brought on, and Franklin roped a single to right to greet him. Wiswall then stepped in and sent a grounder just underneath the first-baseman May, scoring Jones for a 2-1 lead.

Catricala, who tied the game on a solo homer to left - his 15th of the year - in the sixth stepped up again and flared a single to left-center that plated Franklin for a 3-1 lead.

For the second-straight game, the bullpen pitched beautifully to protect the slim advantage. Right-hander Jonathan Arias (H, 1) got help from a 4-6-3 double-play in a scoreless eighth and right-hander Forrest Snow (S, 4) struck out two in a perfect ninth.

Kirk (L, 0-1) took the loss despite striking out seven over 4.0 innings in his Chiefs' debut. He allowed two runs on four hits and also walked four. Gonzalez was touched up for another run on five hits over 1.1 innings.

Catricala finished 3-for-4 with two RBI, his team-leading 68th and 69th runs batted in. The effort also extended his hitting streak to a personal-best 11 games. Wiswall had the game-winning RBI on his only hit of the game, finishing 1-for-4.

Watkins had the only multi-hit game for Peoria, going 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored. The Chiefs went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position for the game.

The LumberKings (30-24) close the series against the Chiefs (25-27) tomorrow night at 6:30 PM. Right-hander Tom Wilhelmsen (3-1, 2.55) is slated to make his fifth start of the year. Listen to the game on AM 1390 KCLN in Clinton or live on the web at 1390kcln.com.

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Midwest League Stories from August 23, 2010


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