Clinton Lumber Kings

PERU, Ill. — Despite an early 3–0 lead and a strong push from the middle of the lineup, the Clinton LumberKings (32-18, 14-11) couldn't hold off a six-run surge from Illinois Valley (30-22, 19-8) in the third inning, falling 9–5 to the Pistol Shrimp on Saturday night at Schweickert Stadium.

Clinton broke through in the third inning after Cougar Cooke reached and scored on a sacrifice fly from Drew Terpins. Moments later, Jaime Rasmussen ripped a two-run single to right, plating Manny Esparza and Drew Phillips to give the Kings a 3–0 lead.

But the momentum didn't last long. Illinois Valley answered with a six-run frame in the bottom half. After back-to-back RBI singles by Pambos Nicoloudes and D'Andre Gaines, Tino Bethancourt launched a grand slam to left — flipping the game in favor of the home team.

The Shrimp tacked on another run in the fourth on a sac fly from James Love, extending their lead to 7–3.

The Kings clawed back in the fifth. After a wild pitch from the Shrimp's bullpen scored both Manny Esparza and Jaylen Ziegler at the plate to bring Clinton within two, 7–5. That would be as close as the Kings got.

Brandon Mahler added insurance for Illinois Valley in the eighth with a two-run home run to left-center. One of the runs was unearned following a fielding error earlier in the inning.

Despite the loss, Clinton saw production from the top of the order. Brett White went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk, raising his average to .376. Rasmussen led the team with two RBIs, and Esparza reached base twice and scored two runs.

Clinton's bullpen held the line for three straight innings. Tyler Nagelbach tossed four solid frames in relief, giving up just one run on three hits with two strikeouts to keep the Kings within striking distance.

But a two-run homer from Illinois Valley's Brandon Mahler in the eighth off Cole Connor proved to be the final blow.  

The Shrimp were powered by Bethancourt's four RBIs and a strong bullpen effort from Parker Primeaux, who earned a four-inning save with five strikeouts and one hit allowed.

On the mound, Will Schufreider (3–3) took the loss, allowing six earned runs over three innings after a sharp start. Defensively, the Kings turned a double play but also committed three errors that added to the challenge.

The LumberKings are off on Monday and will finish the regular season with a two-game series at NelsonCorp Field against the Quincy Doggy Paddlers before they return to Peru on Thursday, July 31st for the final regular season game before the playoffs. 

Fans can watch the games live on www.prospectleaguenetwork.com or listen for free on www.wcciradio.com or tune on on 100.3 WCCI-FM.