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August 29, 2009 - LOVES PARK, Ill. – The Rockford RiverHawks provided a perfect example of a season of inconsistent play in one night.
In the opener of Saturday’s doubleheader against Southern Illinois, Brett Durand (above, file) pitched a five-hitter and the offense backed him up with clutch and opportunistic hitting to beat the Miners, 7-3. The RiverHawks snapped a six-game skid and ended the Miners’10-game winning streak. In the nightcap, Landon Camp hit a first-inning homer for the Miners and Ryan Kussmaul shut out the RiverHawks, 10-0, on two hits.
With the split, in front of a sellout crowd of 3,571 at Road Ranger Stadium, the RiverHawks were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention in their final Frontier League season. The RiverHawks, who won the 2004 FL pennant and qualified for four straight postseasons, 2004-07, will move to the Northern League for 2010.
In the opener, Durand (9-6) struck out four and walked two in a complete-game outing to beat Southern Illinois ace Ryan Bird.
The RiverHawks rallied from an early 1-0 deficit with three two-out runs in the third inning. Derrick Walker kept the inning alive with a single to left field and Ross McCoy singled in the tying run. Alex Bardeguez singled in Walker and McCoy to put Rockford in front, 3-1.
With one out in the Rockford fifth, shortstop Tony Roth’s bobble of a potential double-play grounder spurred a four-run outburst. Jason James bounced a single past first baseman Brad Miller to drive in two runs. Walker doubled a Bird curve to the wall in right-center to drive in two more runs and knock Bird from the game. Bird (9-6) gave up nine hits and lasted 4 1/3 innings, his shortest start of the year.
In the nightcap, Camp hit a three-run homer to the right-field beer garden in the first inning. The Miners chased Rockford starter Fabian Gomez (4-4) with a two-run fifth inning.
Kussmaul (4-0) struck out four of the first five batters and allowed one Rockford runner to advance beyond second base. He struck out 11 and walked one for the win.
The RiverHawks lost 12 of their last 17 games to fade from the playoff picture.
The teams finish the homestand with a doubleheader at 3:05 p.m. Sunday. The first 1,000 fans receive a RiverHawks team poster. In addition, costumed mystery men, including Batman, Robin, Captain America and Spider-Man, will be on hand for Superhero Day. Kids in superhero costume get in for half price. Also, it’s Youth Football Day. Youths 12 and under in a football jersey get in for free; adults in similar attire get in for half price. The Chicago Bears-Denver Broncos football game will be shown on the stadium video board. Following the game, players will sign autographs and kids can run the bases. Q98.5, Capture Photography, Dr Pepper and Metro Medical sponsor the biggest day of Sunday fun in RiverHawks history.
The RiverHawks are members of the Frontier League, a 12-team independent professional baseball league in its 17th season. Advertising and ticket information is available by calling (815) 885-2255. Fans can also visit the RiverHawks online at www.rockfordriverhawks.com. Most games are broadcast live on ESPN 1380, and on the team website.
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