Michigan Battle Cats at Quad City River Bandits
May 31st, 2002
| Michigan |
|
|
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
0 |
5 |
1 |
|
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
10 |
14 |
1 |
| Quad City |
|
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
3 |
8 |
2 |
E-Rojas, Tomlin, Kuhaulua, LOB MIC-9, QC-11, 2B-Rodriguez, Stegall, Huff, HR-Checksfield (Abbott), Rojas (Daws), Tomlin (Pluta), SB-Hodges, Kuhaulua, Jones, CS-Likely, HBP-Lucas, Kuhaulua, Mauer, SACF-Checksfield, SACB-Rodriguez
HB-Pluta 2, Abbott, WP-Pluta, SO-Conrad, Shelf, Checksfield, Hodges, Lucas, Stegall 3, Likely, Tomlin, Kuhaulua 3, Sandoval 3, Torres 3, Kubel, Jones, Kennedy 2, Huff, BB-Rodriguez, Conrad 2, Shelf, Checksfield, Hodges, Tomlin, Kubel, Jones
T-2:58, A-2,056
U-Matt Kaylor, Art Stewart
Battle Creek Enquirer
Michigan stole and entire sereis from the Quad City River Bandits, finishing off a four game sweep with Friday night's 10-3 win at John O'Donnell Stadium.
Michigan's fifth consecutive victory secured the team's second four game series sweep of the season.
It also upped the Battle Cats overall record to 32-22, while sending Quad City to it's sixth straight defeat and a 24-26 mark.
Steve Checksfield's three run homer highlighted Michigan's five run fifth inning, a burst that put the Cats ahead 8-1.
Checksfield finished the night 1 for 3 with four RBIs, while Randy Rojas hit a solo home run for the Cats in the ninth inning.
Mike Rodriguez also had a big night for the Cats, going 3 for 3 with a double and scoring four runs.
Starting pitcher Anthony Pluta struck out nine River Bandits over five innings to pick up the win and improve to 4-5.
The Cats continue their road trip at 8pm today with the start of a four game series in Cedar Rapids.
D.J. Houlton takes the mound for Michigan, teamporarily taking the rotation spot of Monte Mansfield, who is nursing a bad back.
Quad City Times
by Steve Batterson
Something smelled Friday night at John O'Donnell Stadium, and it wasn't the river.
The stench of the Quad City River Bandits' sixth straight defeat was almost more than manager Jeff Carter could bear.
"This was the worst," Carter said after the River Bandits' 10-3 Midwest League loss to Michigan that extended the Quad City longest skid of the year.
"I feel worse about the way we played tonight than I did with the way we struggled at the start of the year. There was nothing there. No life at all."
At the plate, the River Bandits struck out a season worst 15 times.
On the mound, Quad City gave up a season high 10 runs.
And in the field, a pair of errors and what Carter interpreted as a general lack of hustle led to a loss that leaves the River Bandits alone in sixth place in the Western Division standings, five spots lower than were the team began the week.
"In this game you'll have a bad night from time to time, but if nothing else, the hustle should always be there." Carter said, "A player should take enough pride in what he's doing to get after it day after day and today that wasn't there. It was a totally bad effort."
Carter tried to shake his team's routine a bit Friday, canceling early batting practice and infield work, and when James Tomlin opened the bottom of the first inning with his first home run of the season, Carter though he might have pulled the right string.
It proved to be a mirage.
"It just all disappeared," Carter said, referring a lack of situational hitting that saw Quad City (24-26) strand five runners in the first two innings.
Michigan continued to do the things that allowed the Battle Cats to sweep the four game sereis and improve their Eastern Division leading record to 32-22.
Seven of the Battle Cats' 14 hits came from the first three spots in the order, but it was cleanup hitter Steve Checksfield's three run home run in a five run fifth inning that blew open the game.
His league leading 11th homer of the season completed an 11 RBI sereis for the right fielder.
How They Scored
Cats 1st
Mike Rodriguez doubled to left, advanced to third when Brooks Conrad flew out to right. Todd Shelf walked. Rodriguez scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Steve Checksfield. Kerry Hodges struck out.
Bandits 1st
James Tomlin homered to left. Kualana Kuhaulua was hit by a pitch. Michael Sandoval struck out. Kuhaulua stole second, took third when Digno Torres singled to second. Jason Kubel struck out. Garrett Jones struck out.
Cats 3rd
Cameron Likely singled to center, took second on a sacrifice bunt by Rodriguez, scored when Conrad singled to center. Conrad singled to center, Conrad took second on Tomlin's fielding error on the play. Shelf struck out. Checksfield struck out.
Cats 5th
Likely singled to center, was caught stealing. Rodriguez walked, took second when Conrad walked. Shelf singled to right, scoring Rodriguez and moving Conrad to second. Checksfield homered to left, scoring conrad and Shelf. Hodges singled to right, stole second. Matt Lucas was hit by a pitch, was forced out at second on a fielder's choice by Ryan Stegall. Hodges scored on an error. Randy ROjas flew out to center.
Bandits 5th
Kuhaulua singled to left, was forced out at second on a fielder's choice by Sandoval. Torres struck out. Kubel walked, moving Sandoval to second. Jones walked, loading the bases. Bryan Kennedy singled to left, scoring Sandoval and Kubel as Jones took third. Jake Mauer lined out to first.
Cats 6th
Likely grounded out to shortstop. Rodriguez singled, took second when Conrad walked. Shelf singled to left center scoring Rodriguez and moving Conrad to third. Conrad tagged out at the plate on a fielder's choice by Checksfield that moved Shelf to third. Checksfield forced out at second on a fielder's choice by Hodges.
Cats 8th
Rodriguez singled to center. Conrad struck out. Shelf singled to left, moving Rodriguez to second. Checksfield walked, loading the baes. Hodges walks, scoring Rodriguez. Lucas grounded into a double play.
Cats 9th
Stegall struck out. Rojas homered to center. Likely struck out. Rodriguez grounded out.