Clinton Lumber Kings

QUINCY, Ill. — On a high-scoring Saturday at QU Stadium, the Clinton LumberKings (19-8, 1-1) and Quincy Doggy Paddlers (10-15, 1-1) slugged their way through a doubleheader filled with momentum swings, defensive miscues, and offensive explosions, ultimately splitting the twin bill on the opening day of the second half of the season. Clinton took Game 1 with a 15-11 win, while Quincy bounced back to claim the nightcap, 13-7.

Game 1 featured an early offensive onslaught from the LumberKings, who jumped out to a 13-0 lead through 3.5 innings. Clinton second baseman Nick Venteicher led the charge, delivering a monster performance by going 4-for-5 with two homers, including a three-run blast in the 3rd, and a career-high seven RBIs. He added a two-run double in the 2nd and stole home in a daring sequence that highlighted Clinton's aggressive approach on the bases. Venteicher's performance placed him in the record books as the player with the most RBIs in a single game, since the LumberKings entered the Prospect League Era. He also tied the record for most home runs hit in a game. 

Drew Phillips also played a major role, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a triple, while Drew Terpins added three hits, an RBI, and two runs scored. The LumberKings racked up 16 hits in the win and took full advantage of nine walks issued by Quincy pitching. Clinton's offense cashed in with big innings early, scoring in each of the first five frames except the 6th.

However, the game was far from over as Quincy chipped away with a six-run 4th inning of their own, sparked by RBI knocks from Jimmy Koza, Tyler Butina, and Brady Kindhart. Wandel Campana added a two-run homer in the 6th and finished the game with a 4-for-5 day and 4 RBIs to lead the Paddlers' 14-hit attack. Quincy made it interesting in the 7th, scoring three more runs—including two unearned—but Clinton held on.

Jake Weissenberger earned the win in relief for Clinton, tossing 2.1 innings and allowing three earned runs while striking out four. Starter JC Dermody lasted 3.1 innings, giving up five runs, while Jalen Martinez closed it out despite some late trouble.

In Game 2, Clinton again jumped ahead early, putting up five runs in the first two innings. Kaden Frommelt's three-run homer to right-center punctuated a four-run 1st, and Colin Coonradt added an RBI groundout in the 2nd to make it 5-0. But Quincy responded emphatically and flipped the game with a 7-run 4th inning fueled by a series of Clinton defensive errors and clutch hitting.

The turning point came when Clinton shortstop Brytton Clements and first baseman Frommelt committed back-to-back errors that allowed three unearned runs to score. Quincy's Jake Merda and Tommy Harrison came through with timely RBI singles to extend the lead. Merda added two more RBIs in the 5th as the Paddlers scored five more runs, capitalizing on wild pitches and shaky defense to put the game out of reach.

In total, Clinton committed four errors in the loss, contributing to eight unearned runs. Jackson Horras was charged with the loss after allowing seven runs (three earned) in 1.1 innings. Rylen Blair followed and was tagged for five runs in just one inning of work.

The LumberKings travel to Burlington to take on the Bees at Community Field. First pitch is set at 2 p.m. Fans can watch on prospectleaugenetwork.com or listen for free at wcciradio.com or tune in to 100.3 WCCI-FM.