Quad City River Bandits at Cedar Rapids Kernels
April 9th, 2002
Game 1
| Quad City |
|
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
3 |
0 |
|
0 |
|
|
3 |
7 |
1 |
| Cedar Rapids |
|
|
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
3 |
|
|
5 |
7 |
0 |
E-Kuhaulua, LOB QC-6, CR-4, 2B-Sandoval, Kotchman, HR-Mathis (Daws), SB-McPherson, CS-Welch, Turner, HBP-Tomlin, Sandoval, SACB-Turner
HB-Nickoli 2, WP-Richardson, Nickoli, BK-Richardson, SO-Tomlin, Kuhaulua, Torres, Abram, Sandoval, Kubel, Huff, Quickstad, Tamburrino, Melgarejo 2, Mathis 2, Porter, Murphy 2, Nevins, Turner, DelChiaro, BB-Quickstad, Kotchman, McPherson, Turner
T-2:24, A-2,257
Cedar Rapids Gazette
by Jeff Johnson
If you didn't believe the new Veterans Memorial Stadium is a special, magical place before you probably do now.
Especially after watching the inaugural game at the park Tueday night. A game that ended in a special, magical way for the Cedar Rapids Kernels.
Special and accurate were definitely accurate ways to describe the Kernels' three run, seventh inning rally that game them a 5-3 win over the Quad City River Bandits in the first game of a Midwest League double header. Cedar Rapids improved to 4-1, all against Quad City with a 3-0 second game victory.
The Kernels scored three runs in the first inning of the nightcap, riding the two hit pitching of starter Joe Torres and relievers Steve Andrade and Mark O'Sullivan. Cedar Rapids has shutout wins in three of it's first five games.
The 1,967 fans in attendence on opening night kind of had that feeling the baseball Gods wanted Cedar Rapids to win it's stadium inaugural when slow footed backup catcher Brent DelChiaro tied the first game by scoring from second base on a throwing error by Quad City shortstop Kaulana Kuhaulua with two outs.
Then that theory was officially confirmed when Jeff Mathis followed that hustle play with his first professional home run and the stadium's first home run, a game winning two run blast to left.
Was there any better way to christen this place?, Absolutely not.
"It was just a beautiful game," Mathis said, "Everybody played hard and kept us in the game. (It was) just some last inning heroics right there by everybody hustling and staying in the game."
"(Manager) Todd (Claus) has always preached to us to play to the last out, Every pitch count," said DelChiaro, "The game's not over until it's over. With this team, we're going to fight until the very end. We're not going to give up. That's the way it worked out."
Ryan Nevins led off the bottom of the seventh by singling hard to center off Quad City reliever Josh Daws (0-1). Pitch runner Ed Welch was bunted to second and went to third on DelChiaro's infield hit to shortstop.
Welch was then tagged out at home on a botched suicide squeeze bunt attempt by leadoff hitter Ransel Melgarejo. DelChiaro moved up to second on the play.
Melgarejo eventually hit a routine ball to Kuhaulua, the shortstop bobbled the ball, then threw low to first baseman Matt Amram who had the ball bounce away only about five feet or so.
But DelChiaro just kept chugging along through the whole play. He was sent home by third base coach Claus and slid home safely just ahead of Abram's throw to the plate.
"I didn't stop running" said DelChiaro, who singled to score the first run at the new ballpark in a two run third inning for the Kernels. "Todd was yelling to run hard all the way through, so that's what I did."
"When I saw (Kuhaulua) boot the ball. I knew it was going to be a close play at the plate."
Mathis then took advantage of what had to be a dazed Daws by picking on his first pitch, a fastball and pulling it over the fence by a healthy margin, about 20 feet to the right of the 'Concrete Monster'. It was the first longball in 118 pro at bats for Mathis, a 19 year old catcher who was a supplemental first round draft pick o the Anaheim Angels last June.
"I didn't know if I got enough of it", said Mathis. "I've never hit one before."
A balk and a Dallas McPherson RBI single gave the Kernels a 2-0 lead after three innings.
But Quad City (1-3) rallied against Kernels start Mike Nickoli to take the lead with three runs in the fifth.
How They Scored
Bottom 3rd
DelChiaro singled to center. Melgarejo struck out. DelChiaro to second on Richardson wild pitch. Mathis bunt single to third, DelChiaro to third. DelChiaro scored, Mathis to second on Richardson balk. Kotchman walked. Porter struck out looking. McPherson singled to leftcenter, Mathis scored, Kotchman to third. Murphy struck out swinging.
Cedar Rapids 2, Quad City 0
Top 5th
(Nickoli pitching), Quickstad walked. Tamburrino singled to right. Quickstad to second. Tomlin singled to third, Quickstad tot hird, Tamburrino to second. Kuhaulua singled to left, Quickstad and Tamburrino scored. Tomlin to second (Rouwenhorst pitching). Mauer grounded into fielder's choice to third. Tomlin to third, Kuhaulua out at second. (Griffiths pitching). Torres struck out looking. Sandoval doubled to right center, Tomlin scored, Mauer to third. Kubel struck out looking.
Cedar Rapids 2, Quad City 3
Bottom 7th
(Daws pitching), Nevins singled to center. Welch pitch ran. Turner sacrificed, catcher to first base. Welch to second. DelChiaro singled to shortstop. Welch to third. Welch tagged out at home on failed squeeze attempt. DelChiaro to second. Melgarejo reached on shortstop Kuhaulua's fielding error. DelChiaro scored. Mathis homered to left. Melgarejo scored.
Cedar Rapids 5, Quad City 3