How the West Is Won: Rascals Bash Freedom To Clinch

September 4, 2014 - Frontier League (FL)
River City Rascals News Release

The River City Rascals are the 2014 Frontier League Western Division champions. They beat up on the Florence Freedom 9-2 Thursday night to clinch the crown. It is the third division title in Raskie history.

River City got off to a great start in the game, scoring three times in the first inning to dig the Freedom's grave early. Brian McConkey and Hector Crespo picked up RBI in the inning off Florence starter Michael O'Neal. McConkey doubled in Johnny Morales and Blaise Fernandez to give the Rascals a 2-0 lead, and Crespo singled in McConkey for the third tally.

Tim Koons was brilliant on the mound as the starter for River City. The righty from the University of Oakland went six innings, giving up just five hits and a walk while striking out six. With the win, Koons finishes the season with a 5-4 record.

His offense gave him plenty of support, scoring five more times in the fifth to put the game out of reach. Steve Carrillo brought in Jon Myers on a gutsy squeeze bunt and Saxon Butler added two RBI on a single to bring his season total up to 84 before the big inning was through.

Florence got a couple runs (both unearned) off of Nick Kennedy in the seventh. The Raskies, though, were never in trouble. They scored again in the eighth, and Gabriel Shaw pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to clinch the sixty-first win of the season, the Western Division title, and home field advantage throughout the postseason for the Rascals.

River City opens up its playoff schedule with the first game of the divisional series on September 8th. Their opponent will be the lowest-remaining seed after the one-game wild card contests are played.

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Frontier League Stories from September 4, 2014

• Beach Bums Fall 4-3 in Season Finale - Traverse City Beach Bums
• CornBelters Battle Back But Lose in Walk-Off - Normal CornBelters
• Miners Sweep Lake Erie To Finish Regular Season - Southern Illinois Miners
• ThunderBolts End Season with 4-3 Win over Traverse City - Windy City ThunderBolts
• Boomers Head into Playoffs with Walkoff Winner - Schaumburg Boomers
• Aviators Sweep Greys to End 2014 Season - Rockford Aviators
• Freedom Drop Season Finale to Rascals - Florence Y'alls
• How the West Is Won: Rascals Bash Freedom To Clinch - River City Rascals
• Lopez, Sweeney Secure Home Playoff Game for Otters - Evansville Otters
• Sweeney's Homerun Sends Wild Card Game to Evansville - Washington Wild Things
• Rascals Playoff Pep Rally/ Food Truck Frenzy Friday - River City Rascals
• September 4 Florence Freedom Game Notes - Florence Y'alls
• Home Playoff Game on the Line for Evansville Otters on Thursday - Evansville Otters
• Display of Power Gives Aviators Double-Header Sweep - Rockford Aviators
• Miners Clinch Division Title - Southern Illinois Miners
• Delgado Strikes out 10 in 4-3 Walkoff Loss - Traverse City Beach Bums
• Miners Playoff Schedule Set - Southern Illinois Miners

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