Broekemeier Gets Two Hits, But LumberKings Score Six In Third, Three In Seventh, Four In Eighth, Defeat River Dragons 14-9
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CLINTON, Ia. – Despite two hits from Metro-East Lutheran’s Erik Broekemeier, the Alton River Dragons allowed six runs in the third, three more in the seventh, and four in the eighth in a 14-9 loss to the Clinton, Ia., LumberKings in a Prospect League baseball game played Saturday night at NelsonCorp Field In Clinton.
The game was the first of a two-game weekend series between Alton and Clinton, and it dropped the River Dragons to 4-7 in the second half of the league’s split season, and 17-20 overall, with Alton sitting in fourth place of the South Division of the Western Conference, three-and-a-half games behind the first place O’Fallon, Mo., Hoots, two-and-a-half games behind the second place Jackson, Tenn., Rockabiillys, and a half-game behind the third place Cape Catfish of Cape Girardeau, Mo. The lead the fifth place Thrillville Thrillbillies of Marion by two-and-a-half games.
After a scoreless first two-and-a-half innings, the LumberKings broke on top in the bottom of the third, starting with a bases loaded walk to Gage Franck, scoring Noah Gordon with the first run of the game. Another walk, this one to Jalen Martinez, forced in Max Holy with the second run, and a bases-clearing double by Bryan Belo made the score 5-0 for Clinton, Holy later drew another bases loaded walk to force in another run to make the score 6-0 for the LumberKings.
The River Dragons got three of the runs back in the top of the fourth, starting with a RBI double by Jeremy Santoyo that scored Broekemeier to make it 6-1, then Javi Alvarez reached on an error that allowed Santoyo to score, with Alvarez himself scoring on a wild pitch to cut the Clinton lead to 6-3.
In the bottom of the sixth, Martinez doubled home Holy to increase the LumberKings lead to 7-3, and in the home half of the seventh, Jaden Hackbarth drove in James Hackett with a RBI single that gave Clinton an 8-3 lead, with Hackbarth going to third on an error. Karson Grout then reached on another error to bring in another run, and Holy forced Gordon on a fielder’s choice grounder at second, scoring Grout and making the score 10-4.
In the top of the eighth, the River Dragons fought back again, starting when Alvarez reached on an error with the bases loaded, allowing two runs to score, then a Diego Murillo RBI single scored Zach Timon to bring Alton to within 10-7. Alvarez later scored on a wild pitch, and a Cooper Howell sacrifice fly to center scored Murillo to make the score 10-9. In the home half, Clinton put the game away, starting with a RBI single by Belo that drove in Martinez, then Grout clinched the game with a three-run homer that also scored Hackbarth and Belo to make the final 14-9 for Clinton after the River Dragons were set down in the ninth.
Murillo had three hits and a RBI for Alton, while both Santoyo had two hits and a RBI, Broekemeier came up with a pair of hits, both Eli Hill and Cole Schrank had a hit apiece, Alvarez drove in four runs, and Howell also had a RBI.
Anthony Ribes got the start on the mound, and was charged with the loss, going two innings, allowing six runs on four hits, while walking three, Scott Detweiller went for three innings and gave up a hit, walking two and striking out three, Aiden Adams worked two innings, giving up four runs, two earned, on four hits, and Harrison Dubois worked in the eighth, giving up four runs, three earned, on four his, while walking one, fanning one, and allowed a home run.
On Monday, Alton plays a doubleheader at Jackson and on Tuesday, with the first game starting at 6:35 p.m., then play in Marion against the Thrillbillies at 7 p.m., host the LumberKings in a game at the Bethalto Sports Complex Thursday at 6:35 p.m., host the Terre Haute, Ind., REX in a doubleheader on Friday, with the first game starting at 5:30 p.m., play at Thrilllville on Saturday in a 7 p.m. first pitch, and conclude the week next Sunday against the Normal CornBelters at home in a 5:35 p.m. start.
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