Late rally earns Clinton series split
DAVENPORT, Iowa – The Clinton LumberKings used two ninth inning runs to knock off the River Bandits 5-4 on Sunday afternoon at Modern Woodmen Park. Nick Zammarelli singled to start the Clinton ninth and scored with two outs on a Yojhan Quevedo double. The next batter was Gareth Morgan. He singled to right to score pinch runner Rayder Ascanio for what proved to be the winning run.
Clinton (8-9) began the scoring in the second inning with back-to-back home runs from Zammarelli and Luis Rengifo. After the first two batters were retired in the bottom of the second, the Bandits (9-8) loaded the bases. Taylor Jones roped a double to left-center, scoring all three runners and giving Quad Cities a 3-2 lead. Ronnie Dawson cranked a solo home run to right center to pad the River Bandits lead in the sixth. Anthony Jimenez led off the Clinton eighth with a double and came around to score on a Luis Liberato ground out to cut the Bandits lead 4-3. In the ninth, Quevedo and Ascanio’s hits won it for the LumberKings.
Jorge Alcala pitched well enough to win for Quad Cities, lasting six innings, allowing two runs, five hits and striking out eight. Erasmo Pinales tossed two innings in relief and allowed one run on just two hits. Derick Valazquez was on the mound in the ninth for the Bandits. Valazquez (1-2) allowed both the tying run and the winning run and yielded three hits. Robert Dugger tossed a scoreless eighth and ninth and got the win for Clinton.
