PCL1 Iowa Cubs

Iowa Wins Behind Defensive Excellence

Published on May 11, 2016 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Iowa Cubs News Release


DES MOINES, Iowa - The Iowa Cubs (16-15) outhit the Nashville Sounds 11-7 (15-18) to record a 4-2 win, Wednesday at Principal Park. Iowa flashed its leather with three doubles plays, including two outfield assists, to help the I-Cubs to their seventh win in nine games. Drew Rucinski (2-3) took his second consecutive win, while Dillon Overton dropped to 1-4 with the loss.

Nashville took the first lead of the game with a run in the second, but Iowa limited the damage. With runners on second and third, Daniel Vogelbach took an unassisted ground out at first and fired to Willson Contreras at the plate to catch the runner and end the inning. Iowa took back the run in the fourth when Albert Almora Jr. led off with a double, moved to third on a ground out and came in to score off a single from Miguel Montero, the first hit of his rehabilitation stint. The I-Cubs had the chance to do more damage as Taylor Davis followed with a single and Vogelbach drew a walk to load the bags with one out, but Sounds' starter Overton worked out of the inning and Iowa stranded all three runners.

Kristopher Negrón ignited an Iowa rally in the fifth inning that broke the tie ball game. Negrón led off with a double, moved to third on a successful sacrifice bunt from John Andreoli and crossed the plate on a double from Almora Jr., his second two-bagger of the game. Contreras followed with a RBI double and later scored on a single from Montero to make it 4-1, Iowa.

Renato Nunez helped Nashville narrow the gap in the next frame, jolting a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left-center field to pull the visitors within two. The next batters reached on a single and a walk to put two on with no outs, but Alcantara made a diving stop to his right on a ground ball to spark a 4-6-3 double play. Giovanni Soto, who took over the mound for Rucinski in the sixth, caught Matt Olson looking to get out of the inning with minimal damage.

The I-Cubs' defense saved another run in the eighth when Andrew Lambo rocketed a ball into the gap in right-center with a runner on first and one out. Almora chased it down and made a behind-the-back diving catch, then doubled the runner off first to end the inning.

Almora went 2-for-5 with two doubles and a RBI to extend his hitting streak to eight games, the most of any I-Cub this season. Montero added two hits as the designated hitter with two RBI, as Negrón and Davis also collected two hits each.

Iowa is back at Principal Park for the third of the four-game series against the Nashville Sounds, Thursday at 12:08 p.m. For more information or tickets, visit www.iowacubs.com.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 11, 2016


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