Flyers and JackHammers split twin-bill

June 18, 2009 - Northern League (NL)
Schaumburg Flyers News Release


JOLIET - The Flyers used a solid offensive performance from the entire lineup to salvage a doubleheader split with Joliet, winning 6-5 at Silver Cross Field in a seven-inning game two. The JackHammers came from behind to win the first game 6-5 in 12 innings.

Game two was a see-saw battle that saw Joliet take a 1-0 lead in the first, as Adam Klein led-off the inning with a walk and later scored on a ground out. Schaumburg took their first lead of the game with two outs in the fourth when Victor Ferrante tripled home Jason Colson and Vince Harrison, who had both walked.

Joliet answered in the bottom half of the inning on an Andrew Pinckney two-run blast. But the Flyers responded with two in the fifth when Jose Valdez and Colson both scored on an error off the bat of Jeff Dunbar. Schaumburg would add two more in the sixth on a Felix Jose single and a Colson sacrifice fly, giving the Flyers a seemingly comfortable 6-3 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.

But things wouldn't be easy in the final frame for the Flyers. Jamie McGraw chased Flyers starter Carmen Pignatiello with a leadoff homer, and Kevin Rios and Wally Backman followed with singles to bring the winning run to the plate with nobody out. Klein sacrificed and Rios scored on a Danny Cox groundout, but with the tying run 90 feet away in the form of Backman, Popp struck out Phil Avlas looking to end the game.

Pignatiello (3-1) got the game two win, and Aaron Trolia (1-5) was docked the loss. Popp recorded his first save. Joliet opened the scoring in the first game with a run in the bottom of the first.  The Flyers answered right back with a run of their own in the top of the second, and then took the lead with a three-run fourth inning, capped by Felix Jose's two-run homer to right center.

The bats went quiet for both teams for a few innings, with the defense of Travis Brown taking center stage. With runners taking off from first and second base in the 6th inning, Brown caught a Jamie McGraw line drive going up the middle, doubled off the runner at second and fired to first to complete the second triple play of the season for the Flyers.

Andrew Pinckney chased Flyers starter Dustin Glant from the game with an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning, making the score 4-2 Flyers.  Closer Craig James came on to face the bottom of the JackHammers order with the tying run at second and no outs.  James struck out Wally Backman Jr. and McGraw looking before giving up a game tying two-run single to Adam Klein.

With two outs in the tenth, Jason Colson hit a towering fly ball to deep right field that would have left the yard if not for the efforts of Backman Jr, who leapt at the wall and reached over to rob Colson of his homer.

The game continued with each team trading a run in the 11th to keep the score even at 5-5.  Backman Jr. led off the twelfth inning with a single, and after the Flyers walked the bases loaded, Kevin Rios singled off of Aaron Guerra (0-1) to give the JackHammers a 6-5 win.  Drew Shetrone (1-0) got the final two outs in the top of the twelfth to earn the win, and Guerra took the loss in his first decision as a Flyer. The Flyers and Jackhammers will meet Thursday at 7:05 to wrap up the three-game set, with Alain Quijano taking the mound for Schaumburg.



Northern League Stories from June 18, 2009


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