Written by If Wednesday night’s Beloit Snappers/Clinton LumberKings game does indeed mark the final time I see a baseball game in person this year, it was a heckuva game to end the season on!
I don’t want to bury the lead, so let’s start by saying the Snappers came out on top in game one of their 3-game playoff series with Clinton, by a score of 8-6. But the score doesn’t begin to tell the story.
Clinton scored twice in the bottom of the first inning, but Beloit got one back in the top of the 2nd. Clinton 2B Dillon Hazlett got that run back for Clinton in the bottom of the 2nd with a solo HR. It wouldn’t be his only dinger.
Beloit scored again in the top of the 3rd to make the score 3-2 Clinton, but the LumberKings tallied another run in the 4th to go back up by 2 runs again. The Snappers closed to within 1 with an Eddie Rosario RBI double. However, when Miguel Sano flied to CF, Rosario tried to advance to third base, but was called out for having left 2nd too soon. Again the LumberKings immediately got that run back in the bottom of the 5th to reclaim a 2-run margin, 5-3.
Rosario struck again with runners on 2nd and 3rd in the 7th with a single to LF. Clinton left fielder Guillermo Pimentel bobbled the ball, allowing the tying run to score, but Rosario was thrown out at 2B by the cut-off man. Still, the game stood tied at 5 runs each.
Kennys Vargas started out the 8th with a double to the LCF wall. JD Williams pinch ran for Vargas and eventually scored on Stephen Wickens RBI single up the middle through a drawn in infield. But in the bottom of the 8th, Hazlett struck again with his second solo HR of the night and the game was tied yet again, 6-6.
In the 9th, the Snappers parlayed an AJ Petterson lead-off single, a Nate Roberts sacrifice bunt, a Clinton error, a couple of wild pitches and an infield grounder in to two more runs. Mason Melotakis gave up a lead-off double in the bottom of the ninth and nearly threw a comeback grounder over the head of Miguel Sano, who had shifted over to play 1B after Vargas’ departure. But Melotakis settled down to get the final out on a fly ball to RF to secure the 8-6 win.
They head home now for game 2 Thursday night and, if necessary, game 3 on Friday.
I was a little disappointed in the size of the crowd at Clinton, but I can’t say enough about how friendly everyone I talked to was. I started the game sitting with a family from Beloit, including a young lady who, it turns out, is one of the Snappers’ batgirls at their home games. Later in the game, I moved out to a picnic area down the left field line and the Clinton fans down there pretty much adopted me for two innings, despite my Twins gear clearly making my allegiances clear.
Clinton’s ballpark is another one of the older stadiums in the Midwest League, but Clinton has at least made obvious attempts to upgrade their facilities. I REALLY enjoyed the old school organ music between and during innings. I didn’t realize how much I missed that kind of thing until I heard it in Clinton!
Let’s wrap with a few pictures and wish the Snappers the best of luck the rest of the playoffs!
- JC
Outside Ashford University Field in Clinton
Pitching coach Gary Lucas looks on as starting pitcher Jason Wheeler warms up with catcher Matt Koch
Teams are introduced before the playoff game starts
Manager Nelson Prada and runner Kennys Vargas at 3B
Runner Drew Leachman, who had 3 hits on the night, held on by Clinton SS Bryan Brito
Jason Wheeler pitching with Miguel Sano at 3B
Kennys Vargas at 1B and AJ Petterson at 2B
View from the left field picnic area of Ashford University Field in Clinton
Really enjoyed the pics and story, JC. Sounds like a great night.
Thanks, JB, it was. I’m going to miss baseball. When do pitchers & catchers report?
JC, even if I thought your writing was worse than licking slug slime, I’d still gravitate to your posts for the pictures. Once again you combine a nice article with some excellent photos. Maybe the Snappers will hire you as their official beat reporter?
Thanks, Paul. I think. Though as I read your comment, I can’t be 100% sure you don’t actually think my writing is worse than licking slug slime, since you admit you would come around here anyway!
As for being the Snappers official beat reporter: (a) Beloit’s a long way from Cedar Rapids and I’m not going to commute that far; and (b) if the Twins end up affiliating with my home town Kernels, their GM is too smart to offer to pay me to do a job he’s probably going to get me to do for free anyway. If the Kernels end up the Twins affiliate next year, I’m sure I’ll have at least one pictorial essay like this every homestand, if not more.
Thanks again for the compliment. I do appreciate it, especially since I wrote this post after midnight after I got home from Clinton. Wasn’t sure how it would turn out.