FL River City Rascals

Tim Koons and Griff Gordon the Key to Rascals Fifth Straight Win

Published on June 5, 2016 under Frontier League (FL)
River City Rascals News Release


Tim Koons threw seven scoreless innings in his first start off the disabled list and Griff Gordon accounted for both runs to lead the Rascals to their fifth win in a row, 2-0 against the Schaumburg Boomers Saturday night. The shutout was the second during the five game winning streak and it is the second time in Koons's last five games dating back to 2015 that he held the opponent scoreless in six or more innings. With the win, River City moved a season high five games over .500 and won their fourth series of the year.

The best opportunity for the Boomers to score came in the first inning when leadoff hitter Josh Gardiner doubled and then got 90 feet away from scoring with one out after a bunt from Jordan Dean. The 2015 eleven game winner got two strikeouts to end the inning and would go on to allow just three hits and one runner in scoring position in his final six innings.

In his second start of the year, the righty finished allowing six hits and got six strikeouts in route to his first win of the 2016 campaign.

"It's been a couple weeks since I have been on the field and I felt good going out there tonight," Koons said. "I just wanted to go out there and do my thing. I mixed in my different pitches at different times and went to my off speed to finish off at-bats."

River City had a baserunner on each of the first three innings but were unable to score a run until their fourth opportunity. With one out, the Rascals put together three consecutive singles, including a RBI single from Griff Gordon that put the Rascals up 1-0. Josh Ludy and Robby Enslen recorded the other two hits and it was Ludy who scored the run off the Boomers starter Josh Heddinger.

Willi Martin had a leadoff double in the fifth but was stranded and Heddinger would work out of another jam in the sixth after allowing a double to Robby Enslen which got Ludy to third.

Boomers manager Jaime Bennet would go to his bullpen in the seventh and the Rascals were shut down by Derek DeYoung in the next two innings. Jared Wilson replaced Koons to begin the bottom of the eighth and Wilson worked out of a leadoff single with two strikeouts to keep the shutout going.

"I think we have done a great job on this trip. Earlier in the year we weren't able to get our starters very deep and this trip is the complete opposite," catcher Josh Ludy said. "It's what we hope for all year out of our starters and then we have our bullpen who can lock it down. When the pitching staff is rolling we are a tough team to beat."

The Rascals would answer that with an insurance run as Griff Gordon picked up his second hit of the game and Kyle Gaedele moved him to third with a double. With one out, Clint Freeman pinch hit for Martin and he lifted a fly ball to left field. It was shallower than most sacrifice flies but with good speed Gordon was able to give the Rascals a 2-0 lead.

"I was just thinking we really need this run because it will take a lot of pressure off of our pitchers. It also let us loosen up a little bit defensively with a two run lead so I got a great jump and tried to get there as fast as I could."

Closer Zac Treece came on for the ninth and the Rascals top arm out of the bullpen got two strikeouts for his fifth save of the year. The second year Rascals has allowed just one run in thirteen innings and has a team leading 23 strikeouts.

The Rascals look for their sixth consecutive win and their third series sweep on the road Sunday afternoon.

"We are a really good team and we do everything in our power to make a win happen. Right now we are on a good streak so hopefully we can keep riding it out," outfielder Robby Enslen said.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 and it will Joe Scanio (2-1) against Seth Webster (1-1). The game can be heard on rascals.caster.fm.

Check out the River City Rascals Statistics

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Frontier League Stories from June 5, 2016


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