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MWL1 Clinton LumberKings

Kings Win Homer Derby with Snappers

July 9, 2011 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Clinton LumberKings News Release


Beloit, WI - The Clinton LumberKings erased a 3-2 deficit in the fifth inning on back-to-back solo home runs from Anthony Phillips and Kevin Rivers, then raised the lead to 8-4 on a towering two-run homer from Stefen Romero in the seventh as they defeated the Beloit Snappers 8-5 on Saturday night at Pohlman Field.

Tim Morris doubled home Mike McGee and Romero for a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but the Snappers quickly responded with a game-tying two-run blast from Jairo Perez in the bottom of the first. An inning later, Tobias Streich lifted off to left-center, giving the Snappers a 3-2 lead.

Left-hander Nate Reed struggled in those first two innings but settled in to allow just the three runs over 5.0 innings in his first start of the year. Reed's (W, 2-1) effort allowed the Kings a chance to get back in the game in the fifth.

Left-hander Andrei Lobanov came on to replace right-hander Blayne Weller in the fifth and was greeted by a first-pitch drive from Phillips that hooked inside the left-field foul pole for a solo home run, tying the game at 3-3. The very next batter Rivers then skied a ball over the fence in left-center. The second instance of back-to-back home runs by LumberKings this season gave Clinton the 4-3 lead.

Kalian Sams laced a double to right-center scoring Morris and then came home on the first professional RBI from John Hicks, a sacrifice fly to left as the Kings increased the lead to 6-3 in the seventh.

But Perez struck again for a solo home run to left-center off left-hander Ryan Kiel (H, 1), cutting the lead back to 6-4. Kiel went on to strike out six batters afterwards in his LumberKings' debut, including the rare feat of fanning four in an inning. He did that in the sixth, recording the extra K as Daniel Ortiz reached on a third-strike wild pitch.

With Lobanov (L, 0-7) still on in the seventh, McGee walked and Romero crushed a pitch deep over the left-field fence for his team-lead-tying eighth home run, giving the LumberKings an 8-4 advantage.

Right-hander Jessie Nava yielded a run in the eighth and faced Perez as the tying run in the bottom of the ninth, but was able to get the Snappers' third-baseman to ground to third-baseman Matt Browning, who stepped on the third-base bag to end the game.

Rivers (2-for-4, HR, RBI), McGee (3-for-4, 2 R, RBI), Romero (2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI), Morris (3-for-3, double, 2 RBI), Sams (2-for-4, double, RBI) and Phillips (2-for-4, HR, RBI) all had multi-hit games for the LumberKings, who with 15 total hits fell one hit shy of their single-game season high for 2011. The win gives Clinton sole possession of second place in the West Division.

Perez went 2-for-4 with the two home runs and three RBI to lead the Snappers, who drop to third in the West.

The LumberKings (10-6) continue the three-game series against the Snappers (9-7) with day baseball at Pohlman Field tomorrow, first pitch scheduled for 2:00 PM. Right-hander George Mieses (3-9, 5.38) takes the hill for Clinton against Beloit right-hander Manuel Soliman (3-5, 4.32). 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 July 9, 2011


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