 |
|
|
 |
|
|
| « Back |
| |
June 1, 2006 - LOVES PARK, Ill. – The Evansville Otters only got four innings out of starter Landon Brazell, but they found plenty of relief against Rockford. Brazell had given up two runs on five hits, striking out four and walking four before departing prior to the start of the fifth. The RiverHawks didn’t manage a hit against the tag-team of Jake Haggerty and Mike Bille, who retired the last 13 hitters they faced.
Rockford pitchers didn’t give up an earned run, but starter Drew Endicott still took the loss to fall to 0-2 on the season following the 3-2 defeat. The Otters did all their damage in the third inning. With a runner on first and one out, catcher Ricky Clinton hit a ground ball to short stop Jake Bowen with the runner going. In his haste to try to start a double play, Bowen was unable to get his glove on the ball and both runners were safe on the error. The next batter grounded another one up the middle, which Endicott speared. But again the Otter runners were moving on the play, and Endicott hurried a throw that sailed over Bowen’s head. That loaded the bases with one out. Endicott got the next batter to ground into a fielder's choice at home, keeping the bases loaded but with two outs. He was unable to escape the danger, however, as designated hitter Jeff Goldbach hit a two-run single to right field. That was followed by a RBI single by third baseman Matt Edwards that put Evansville up 3-1.
The RiverHawks had scored one in the first after center fielder Matt Sauls was hit by a pitch. He moved to second on a Rico Santana single, and the two combined on a double steal. Designated hitter Bart Hunton brought in Santana with a groundout to second. Walks to Nick Johnson and Mike Bidwell loaded the bases with two outs, but first baseman Mayke Cabrera struck out to the end the inning. It was the ninth time this season the RiverHawks left the bases loaded to end an inning.
Rockford got another run in the third to cut the Evansville lead to 3-2. Santana got a one-out single, moved to second on a balk, and moved to third on a fly ball by Hunton. Johnson then drove him in with a single.
Haggerty came on to start the fifth inning and walked two of the first three hitters, but got a double play to end the inning. The one-out walk to Johnson was the last baserunner to reach base for Rockford. Haggerty wound up going four innings, walking those two, striking out five, and not giving up a hit. Bille came on in the ninth to get his first save of the season by striking out all three RiverHawks he faced.
The ‘Hawks had some fine relief pitching of their own to keep the score 3-2. Adam Kroft relieved Endicott in the sixth with a runner on second and just one out, but got out of the jam with a strikeout and a popout. He faced the same problem in the seventh, a runner on second and one out, but again retired the next two batters with no damage done. David Dowling and Tom Lyons each pitched a scoreless inning to end the game.
Evansville spoiled the Rockford home opener and won the first game played at RiverHawks stadium with the victory. Rockford opened with six straight games on the road.
The loss drops Rockford to 4-3, and they have now lost two in a row. Evansville moves to 2-5; they have won two in a row. The two teams will meet for game two of the two-game series on Thursday at 7:05 at RiverHawks Stadium.
The RiverHawks are members of the Frontier League, a 10-team independent professional baseball league in its 14th season. Advertising, ticket and suite information is available by calling the box office at (815) 885-2255. All games are broadcast live on WRHL-FM, 102.3 – the Hub and online at www.rockfordriverhawks.com |
|
| |
| Search Archives |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| ©2006, Rockford RiverHawks. All rights reserved. |
|
|
|
|
>
