FL River City Rascals

Rascals, Wild Things Split Double Header

Published on August 21, 2014 under Frontier League (FL)
River City Rascals News Release


The Rascals and Wild Things split the opening two games of their three-game set in Washington, PA August 20th, with each team earning a three-run, seven-inning win in the doubleheader to set up the rubber match.

Bryce Shafer went to the mound for the Rascals in Game 1 and struggled from the outset. The Wild Things tagged him for a run in the first inning and then added four more in the second, with Garrett Kalamar picking up a 2-RBI single and Scott Kalamar driving in two himself with a double. Shafer would exit after the second inning, having surrendered five runs on four hits and two walks.

The Rascals offense responded to having to play catch up, breaking through against Zac Fuesser, the starter for the Wild Things. Jon Myers led off the third against him with a double and would come in on an RBI groundout by Steve Carrillo. They would add another in the fourth, this one on a solo homerun by Brian McConkey, and then get two more in the fifth, with Eric Williams and Saxon Butler each contributing an RBI base hit. Butler's single to drive in Curran Redal was his seventieth RBI of the summer.

Unfortunately, the comeback was able to keep the comeback under control, scoring once in the third to puncture it and then once in the sixth to deflate it. They would prevail by a score of 7-4. Fuesser picked up the win, while Shafer got the loss. Jonathan Kountis pitched a scoreless ninth to record tie the franchise record for saves in a season with 28.

It was a different story in Game 2, however. Joe Cuda was masterful in the contest, lasting into the sixth with a a shutout. Cuda showed off his brilliant control and had his curve at maximum effectiveness, striking out eight while walking none and surrendering just three hits in 5 1/3 innings.

His offense was brilliant when it needed to be. The Rascals scored all of the game's runs in the fourth inning. Joe Staley kicked off a two-out rally in the inning by reaching with a walk. Brian McConkey then singled him over. McConkey's base hit drove the starter Zac LeBarron from the game. He was replaced by Matt Purnell, whom Hector Crespo immediately tattooed for a single to drive in Staley and make it 1-0. The speedy Crespo then stole second and came in along with McConkey on a 2-RBI single by Jon Myers.

That's all Cuda and the relief platoon of Patrick Crider and Gabe Shaw would need. Cuda got the W in the 3-0 victory, while Shaw picked up his twenty-third save of the season. The victory was the Rascal's fifty-first of the summer and sets up a deciding match with the Wild Things Thursday night. First pitch will be thrown at 8:05 ET/ 7:05 Central.

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Frontier League Stories from August 21, 2014


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