Homer dooms 'Hawks in series opener
August 3, 2005 - Frontier League (FL)
Rockford RiverHawks News Release
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio - Rockford starter, Derek Roper, struck out a season-high 10 batters but made one costly mistake.
Juan Downing hit a three-run homer off Roper (5-4) with two out in the seventh, lifting the Chillicothe Paints to a 6-3 victory.
Jeremy Durkee (5-4) picked up the win in relief, throwing three scoreless innings and allowing just two hits.
With a man on second and two out in the fifth, Ashley Farr committed an error that allowed the inning to continue. The next batter, John Ramistella, singled to drive home a run and tie the score at 3-3.
Rockford had the tying run at the plate in the ninth but Ryan Rafferty got Jeremy Busch to ground out to end the game and earn his second save.
The Paints jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the second on an RBI double by Doug Dreher and an RBI single by Mike Spry.
The âHawks got on the board in the third when Chris Rich led off the inning with his first home run as a RiverHawk.
Gooby Gerlits' two-run single in the fourth off Chillicothe starter, Luke Palmer, gave Rockford its only lead at 3-2.
In the seventh, Jeff Funaro doubled and Ramistella hit an infield single before Downing hit the home run that proved to be the difference.
The RiverHawks continue their series in Chillicothe at 6:05 p.m. Thursday. Rockford returns to Marinelli Field on Tuesday, August 9th, to begin a three-game homestand against Kalamazoo.
The 'Hawks are the defending champions of the Frontier League, a 12-team independent professional baseball league in its 13th season. All games are broadcasted live on WRHL-FM, 102.3 - the Hub.
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