Rascals Rolling, Win 10th Straight Game Saturday Night

August 28, 2016 - Frontier League (FL)
River City Rascals News Release

Rascals Rolling, Win 10th Straight Game Saturday Night
(River City Rascals)

The Rascals entered the contest having outscored the Belters 75-53 this year during the first 10 games of the series and added to that total right away in their first opportunity against CornBelters starter Michael Schweiss.

The inability for the 2015 Frontier League strikeout leader to find the strike zone haunted him as he walked the first three hitters he faced to load the bases in the bottom of the first inning. With no outs, Josh Silver notched a double down the third base line that was just fair and put the Rascals on top 2-0.

However, those would be the only runs scored in the inning despite two runners still in scoring position with no outs. Josh Ludy was tagged out at third base on a ground out, Mike Jurgella flew out to shallow right field and Kyle Gaedele ended the inning with a strikeout.

The double was the only hit Schweiss allowed all outing but didn't last much longer as he finished with seven walks and was pulled from the game with runners at the corners and one out in the fourth inning. The score was still 2-0 when he left but was charged for a third run when Kyle Gaedele came into score on a wild pitch from his reliever Race Parmenter.

On the mound for the Rascals was Joe Pavlovich and he was solid allowing just one hit through the first four innings. In total, the second year Rascal gave up four hits, three in the fifth inning, and allowed a run to come into score on RBI ground out right before a 42 minute rain delay.

The rain delay was the second of the series and then similar to Friday night's rain delay, the Rascals bats didn't go cold and Jason Merjano led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a single. After a pop out, Kyle Gaedele continued his monster week with his third home run of the series, a two-run shot to extend the Rascals lead to 5-1 against reliever Race Parmenter.

With the four run lead, seventh year manager Steve Brook turned the game over to his bullpen and after Skylar Hunter tossed a scoreless sixth, he got himself into some trouble before the seventh inning stretch. With one out, the Belters top of the order put together back-to-back singles chasing Hunter off the mound and would go on to score their second run of the night when Hunter's replacement, Jason Zgardowski, threw a wild pitch.

The Rascals right-hander then walked Aaron Dudley and the Belters made it 5-3 via a RBI single from the Frontier League leader in RBI Nolan Meadows. A ground ball from Dillon Haupt brought home one more run and the Rascals led by just one run heading into the stretch.

Normal brought in Western Division All-Star Francisco Carillo for the bottom of the seventh and prior to tonight he had allowed just six earned runs in 52 2/3 innings for a 1.03 ERA.

Those numbers didn't phase the Rascals as they loaded the bases with no outs and top of the order due up next. To load the bases, Kyle Gaedele led off with a walk, Robby Enslen reached on a fielder's choice and Martinez ended up reaching on a single due to a perfectly placed bunt that was supposed to just move both runners in scoring position.

Carillo struck out Alexi Colon for the first out and then allowed back-to-back hits, a RBI single to Johnny Morales and a game changing two RBI double from Josh Ludy that put the Rascals up 8-4.

Normal kept fighting and got a run on two hits in the eighth inning to come within three runs against Nick Kennedy but that was the end of the scoring as closer Zac Treece retired the side in order in the ninth to pick up his 21st save of the year.

Starter Joe Pavlovich took the win, allowing one run on four hits and struck out four in five innings.

The win was his fourth of the year and the Rascals starting rotation has now earned the win in six of the past seven games.

The Rascals are two and a half games ahead of the Washington WildThings for the final wild card spot with seven games to go and the Rascals final regular season game at CarShield Field takes place Sunday at 4:05 p.m. with Zeb Sneed on the mound.

Rascals Rolling, Win 10th Straight Game Saturday Night

Frontier League Stories from August 28, 2016

• Two-Out Rally, Solid Pitching Leads to Series Sweep - River City Rascals
• : Otters Clinch Wild Card Spot with Win over Miners - Evansville Otters
• Miners Drop Series Finale to Otters - Southern Illinois Miners
• Traverse City D. Lake Erie Crushers, 2-1 - Lake Erie Crushers
• Freedom and Grizzles Rained Out - Florence Y'alls
• Boomers Edge Windy City to Break Streak - Schaumburg Boomers
• ThunderBolts Come up Short in 3-2 Loss to Schaumburg - Windy City ThunderBolts
• Champlin Gives 'Complete' Effort in Weekend Finale - Traverse City Beach Bums
• Koons and UC Health Paramedics to be Reunited Tuesday - Florence Y'alls
• Rascals Rolling, Win 10th Straight Game Saturday Night - River City Rascals
• Lake Erie Crushers D. Traverse City, 5-4 - Lake Erie Crushers
• Miners Clinch Division as Otters Stay In Playoff Hunt - Evansville Otters
• Miners Clinch Division as Otters Stay In - Evansville Otters
• Bums Comeback Falls Short against Crushers - Traverse City Beach Bums
• ThunderBolts Win Third in a Row - Windy City ThunderBolts
• Grizzlies Fall to Freedom - Gateway Grizzlies

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