River Dragons Rally For 9-7 Win Over Clinton

River Dragons Rally For 9-7 Win Over Clinton
Recap Box Score
June 15, 2022

FROM ALTON:

ALTON, Ill. - The Alton River Dragons scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to rally to a 9-7 win over the Clinton Lumberkings at Lloyd Hopkins Field on Wednesday night.

Clinton took a 7-5 lead in the top of the inning on a three-run homer, but the River Dragons responded for their sixth come-from-behind win, and fifth victory in which they scored in their last at bat.

Chris Andrews and Robby Taul led off with consecutive singles, setting the stage for a Blake Burris one-out double to the left field corner that tied the score 7-7.  Noah Bush followed with a RBI single giving Alton the 8-7 edge.  Later, Ben Gallaher's RBI single make the score 9-7.

Bush pitched the scoreless ninth for his league leading fourth save.

Marcus Heusohn had four hits tying the franchise-high and extending his personal streak to 10 games. Gallaher had three RBI with Burris and Bush adding two apiece.

Starting pitcher Justin Needles had the team's best start of the season, not allowing a base runner until the fifth, and tossing five innings of one run , two hit ball.

The River Dragons built leads of 4-0 and 5-1 before Clinton mounted a rally in the later innings, eventually taking the 7-5 lead.

Nevertheless, the River Dragons notch the win to remain two up in the loss column on second place Cape, heading into a crucial meetings between the teams Thursday.

The River Dragons face Cape at 6:35pm at Lloyd Hopkins Field on Thursday night.

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FROM CLINTON:

ALTON, Ill. -  On Wednesday night the Clinton LumberKings took on the Alton River Dragons for the first time in 2022.
 
Through the first five innings it was all River Dragons. Alton starter Justin Needles (Elon University) was in complete control through the first four innings. The righty did not allow a single LumberKings player to reach base until Chase Becker (University of Minnesota) doubled in the fifth inning. Clinton could only muster one run off of Needles in his six innings of work.
 
After Needles' departure Clinton would bounce back. Trailing 5-1 the LumberKings would pull to within one run. Adam Weed (University of Illinois Chicago) tripled with the bases loaded, clearing the bags and making it 5-4.
 
In the eighth Clinton grabbed the lead, Connor Giusti (UW-Oshkosh), with two men on, hit his first home run of the season, giving the LumberKings their first lead of the night at 7-5.
 
Alton responded in the bottom half, the River Dragons scored four times and went into the ninth holding a 9-7 advantage.
 
Clinton could not respond and dropped the game by the final score of 9-7.
 
Tomorrow the LumberKings will travel to QU Stadium for a single game against the Quincy Gems with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m.