4-Run Seventh Gives Illinois Valley Edge Over Clinton

4-Run Seventh Gives Illinois Valley Edge Over Clinton
Box Score
July 7, 2022
CLINTON, Iowa - After a day off, the Clinton LumberKings dropped to 1-1 in the second half of the Prospect League with a 7-4 loss to the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp on Thursday night.
 
Clinton, after trailing 3-0 in the first, battled back in the middle innings.
 
In the fourth, Clinton catcher Cade Moss (Iowa) brought the LumberKings to within one. Moss singled in two runs, plating Matt Scherrman (UW-Oshkosh) and Tommy Specht (Kentucky). 
 
In the sixth Clinton took the lead. Trailing 3-2, Jeremy Conforti (College of DuPage) roped a pinch hit two-run double to give Clinton a 4-3 advantage.
 
The lead wouldn't last long for the LumberKings. In the top half of the seventh the Pistol Shrimp plated four runs. In the inning the Pistol Shrimp tied the game with an RBI knock from Jared Quandt (Hawaii) on a single. Later Illinois Valley took the lead with a Justin Rios (North Central College) RBI sacrifice bunt making it 5-4. The Pistol Shrimp tacked on two more in the inning making it 7-4, the final score. 
 
Blake Gaskey (Southeastern CC) had a nice start for the LumberKings. Gaskey went five innings, allowed no earned runs and struck out two. 
 
The LumberKings now play tomorrow night against the Quincy Gems, the first half Great River Division champions. 
 
First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at NelsonCorp Field, with post-game fireworks following.