Cedar Rapids Kernels at Clinton Lumberkings
April 23rd, 2004
| Cedar Rapids |
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3 |
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3 |
7 |
1 |
| Clinton |
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E-Zimmerman, Senreiso, Bubela, LOB CR-5, CLI-5, 2B-Pali, Senreiso, Kinsler, Swope, 3B-Frostad, HR-Kendrick (Herrera), SB-Senreiso, CS-Brown, SACB-Pali, Wishy
HBP-Pali (Danks), WP-Smith 2
Umpires, H-Clint Mahan, B-Mark Ripperger
T-2:26, A-711
Clinton Herald
by Jon Gremmels
Sometimes when things don't come so easy it's better for the team in the long run. Friday nigh could be a perfect example for the Clinton Lumberkings.
The Lumberkings watched a 3-0 lead disappear in the top of the ninth inning, but scored the winning run on an obstruction call in the bottom half of the ninth to beat Cedar Rapids 4-3 in Midwest League baseball at Alliant Energy Field.
"The biggest thing was after that game, there were not high fives, there were high tens, the guys were excited." Clinton manager Carlos Subero said. "That (type of win) starts getting what you want from them."
The win pushed the Lumberkings back above the .500 mark with an 8-7 record and concluded their opening homestand of the year at 4-4. Despite the loss, Cedar Rapids remained tied with Kane County for first place in the Western Divison at 9-6.
"I think this is huge for us." said Brock Jacobsen, who scored the winning run. "In close games, we haven't won a lot, We've been the team coming from behind. This gives us a lot of confidence."
The winning run scored on a rare obstruction call after Jacobsen was caught between third base and home plate when Cody Clark was unable to put down a bunt on a suicide squeeze call with one out. "We had the squeeze on, I broke and the ball was in the dirt." Jacobsen said "I wanted to stay in the rundown as long as I could and hope they made a mistake."
Catcher Bobby Wilson chased Jacobsen back toward third base, then threw to third baseman Matt Brown. Brown continued the chase as Jacobsen reversed course and headed home. Pitcher Bob Zimmerman was next to get the ball, but after he threw it to shortstop Brandon Wilson, he didn't get out of the baseline quickly enought and was called for obstruction when Jacobsen changed direction again and headed toward home plate, and a bit toward Zimmerman too.
"The pitcher happend to get a little to close," Jacobsen said "I'd like to take a lot of the credit, but a lot of it was him." Subero said "Jacobsen did the best he could to make it (obstruction) seem so obvious. For the umpire to call it in that situation, it had to seem obvious."
Jacobsen was on third as a pinch runner for Emerson Frostad, who tripled off the center field wall to lead off the inning. "You just want to lead off and get the first guy on." said Frostad, who hit a run scoring single in the ninth inning of a loss Wednesday and added a two run home run in the ninth inning Thursday in a 3-2 loss in the first game of a double headed. "I happend to hit it real well. I knoew I got it pretty good, but I knew the ball dosen't carry well to center so I had to keep on running. (Gettin a triple instead of a double) put pressure on the defense and pitcher."
Frostad didn't mind getting lifted for Jacobsen, though. "I probably would have been out on the first throw." he said, referring to the rundown." The triple played right into Subero's strategy. "I was thinking about a suicide squezze even before Frostad hit. " he said "I had Jaobsen ready to go."
Jacobsen held third when Josh Kreuzer grounded out, then Clark got ahead of 2-1 in the count when Subero called the squeeze. "That was great reaction by (Jacobsen)" said Subero. "Usually guys just freeze (when a suicide squezze bunt is missed."
It put a happy ending on a game that almost got away from the Lumberkings. Cedar Rapids had managed just two hits over the first eight innings, but Howie Kendrick showed the Kernels wouldn't go down without a fight when he led off the ninth with a home run to center field off Clinton pitcher Cesar Herrera.
Matt Brown singled with one out and moved to second on centerfielder Juan Senreiso's error. Matt Pali followed with a double to right field, and suddenly the lead was cut to 3-2.
Brian Mattoon (2-0) replaced Herrera on the mound and Quan Cosby went in to run for Pali. Mattoon walked Brandon Wood intentionally, then Blake Balkcom singled to centerfield. Senreiso's throw was to late to get Cosby at the plate, his run tied the game 3-3, but Clark fired the ball to Frostad to throw out Wood at third base. After an infield hit put runners on the corners, Mattoon struck out Aaron Peel for the third out.
The Lumberkings also threw out a base runner earlier in the game, and it seemed to spark the offense. Left fielder Andrew Wishy fired a perfect strike to Clark, who tagged out Brown at the plate for the second out in the seventh inning, when he tried to break a scoreless tie by scoring from second base on Wood's single.
Clinton increased the lead to 3-0 with two more runs in the eighth inning. Tobin Swope doubled with one out and took third on a wild pitch. Juan Senreiso was walked intentionally, then stole second base. Dane Bubela chopped the ball toward the middle of the diamond, but Swope beat second baseman Kendrick's throw to the plate and slid under the tage for a 2-0 lead.
"He was going on contact," Subero said. "Swope couldn't have gotten a better jump. He did a great job running." Senreiso scored later when Wishy bounced a single into right field. It was the only Clinton run that scored on a hit. "That's what happends when you do the little stuff like putting a bunt down." Subero said. "The same with the eighth inning when we scored on the fielder's choice."
Notes
The exciting finish overshadowed outstanding pitching efforts by both teams for most of the game. Clinton starter John Danks allowed just one hit over the first four innings, then Herrera allowed just one more over his first four innings. Meanwhile, Cedar Rapids starer Abel Moreno limited Clinton to two hits over six innings while striking out 10 batters..... The Lumberkings begin a four game series at Burlington with a 6pm game today. Edison Volquez (0-1, 10.29) is scheduled to start for Clinton....The Lumberkings return home to start a four game series against Beloit on Thursday.