Sports

Rascals Score Eight in the 8th, Trample Slammers

Latest loss brings team back to a .500 season, officials say.

This story on Friday night's game was provided by the Joliet Slammers.

Box Score

(O’Fallon, MO) – The River City Rascals (16-10) burned the Joliet Slammers’ (13-13) bullpen as they scored eight runs in the eighth inning to win by a final score of 13-1 over the Slammers on Friday night.

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already trailed 5-1 entering the eighth despite taking a 1-0 lead in the third. Ben Hewett was hit by the pitch to start the inning. Brad Netzel hit into a fielder’s choice but Abel Nieves singled him to third. A Hector Pellot RBI grounder put Joliet on the board.

They would not score again though and River City grabbed the lead in the fourth against Joliet starter Jim Schult (1-2). Kyle Jones walked to start the frame. Josh Workman singled Jones to second and one out later Gerardo Avila singled to right. The ball skipped past Zach Mandelblatt for an error and two runs scored to make the score 2-1. They’d tack on another run in the inning on a fielder’s choice to take a two run lead.

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A single and a walk chased Schult from the game in the fifth. Geoff Brown entered and got Workman to hit into a fielder’s choice for the first out. With runners at the corners Charlie Lisk hit a sacrifice fly to drive in a run. Then Avila doubled in Workman to make the score 5-1.

It remained 5-1 until the eighth. Reliever Mike Gaffigan had tossed a scoreless seventh but was unable to get any outs in the eighth. He walked Avila and Jason Patton blasted a two-run home run to put River City up 7-1. A walk and two singles plated another run. Then an infield single where Gaffigan was late covering first base loaded the bases with nobody out and chased him from the game. Chase Doremus entered and walked in a run. A Workman single scored another run and Lisk got hit by a pitch to plate another Rascals runner. Avila and Patton also singled in runs before Doremus finally got the first out of the inning via a strikeout. A 6-4-3 double play ended the frame but not before eight runs had scored.

Joliet only managed six hits on offense, two from rookie Jimmy Waters.

With the loss the Slammers fall to fifth place in the West Division. They are currently four games back of first place Schaumburg. Joliet will look to win the series Saturday night against River City as Steven Maxwell takes the mound. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. and all the action can be heard on AM 1340 WJOL and online at www.wjol.com


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