The Redlegs and Rangers met on Thursday night at Rotary Park
for the 3rd and final time for the 2011 regular season.
Kevin Campbell took the hill for the Redlegs and, just like
last time, went against Shawn Schmitt of the Rangers.
Unlike the last time these two pitchers went up against each
other however, it was the Redlegs who struck first and not
the Rangers.
After Schmitt got a strikeout to start the game, Caleb
Rodriguez singled and Clark walked to get runners on 1st and
2nd. Rodriguez then went to 3rd on a passed ball and scored
when Brandon Howard hit a ground ball to the right side and
beat out the double play try. Steve Benthal then singled
in Howard to push the early lead for the Redlegs to 2-0.
But the lead was short lived. Campbell quickly retired the
first two Ranger batters, but a Redleg throwing error that
should have ended the inning led to the next 8 Rangers
hitters reaching base with 7 runs scored. The Redlegs
threatened in the 3rd inning, loading the bases with 1 out
as Robinson, Rodriguez, and Clark singled in succession.
Schmitt was able to snag a comebacker off the bat of Brandon
Howard and threw home for the force. The throw was low and
took a bad hop but Rangers catcher James Robinson was able
to make a spectacular bare handed catch to save the run.
Benthal then singled in his 2nd run of the game, but Schmitt
was able to get a timely punch out to kill the potential
rally. The Rangers got the run right back in the bottom
half when Zach Carroll singled in a run, keeping the Ranger
lead at 5. But Jonmarc Lippincott, Brandon Riley, and James
Robinson all drove runs in the next frame for the Rangers
which seemed to put the game out of reach at a score of 11-
3.
But the Redlegs would not go down without a fight.
The top of the 5th brought 5 Redleg runs home. Jared
Bradley led the inning off with a triple and scored when
Jacob Robinson singled directly after. Rodriguez then
singled, and Clark added an RBI single of his own. Brandon
Howard then doubled in a run. Schmitt then K’d the next two
batters and looked like he might strand more Redleg runners
in scoring position, but Brandon Longacre hit a clutch 2-out
2-run single that brought the score within 3.
In the 5th, the Redlegs turned to John Long to try and limit
the Ranger attack. But the Rangers put 3 more on the board
in the inning capped off by a 2 run double from Joe Staten
to push their lead to 14-8. Just when it looked like the
door had closed on the Redlegs for the 2nd time in the game,
the offense exploded once again. In the top of the 6th Greg
Lebouef started the rally with a single to left, and was
lifted when Kevin Campbell went in to pinch run. Bradley
was then hit by a pitch which lined up an RBI double for
Robinson. Rodriguez then hit his 4th single of the day,
this time bringing in Bradley and Robinson to bring the
score to 14-12. Benthal later brought his 3rd RBI in with a
fielder’s choice groundout which set another clutch 2-out
situation for Brandon Longacre. Longacre didn’t disappoint.
This time he launched a 2-out 2-run triple down the right
field line to give the Redlegs a 15-14 lead. Brad Clark
then entered the game going for a 2 inning save, but made
things interesting in the bottom of the 6th. Ben Schooler
led off with a double and Carroll worked a walk to get
runners on 1st and 2nd. Aaron Armstrong then put down a
perfect sacrifice bunt to put the runners in scoring
position. But Clark ended the threat quickly, get a
strikeout and fly out to end the inning while the Redlegs
retained the lead. The Redlegs then went quietly in the top
of the 7th as they couldn’t get anything going on Rangers
reliever Jelani Arnold, though Clark did get his 4th hit of
the game in the frame. In the bottom half Clark got an
early strikeout, but Josh Cawein got a 1 out single to put
the potential tying run on 1st. Shawn Schmitt then hit a
foul ball line drive down the 1st base line that Brandon
Longacre somehow plucked from mid air while making an
amazing diving catch. Clark then got a groundout to end the
game, earning his 1st save this season. With the win, the
Redlegs have now won 4 of their last 4 and still have a shot
at ending the year at an overall .500 record. They play the
A’s Sunday at 1:00 at Rotary Park, and play the Tigers
directly afterward in a continuation game that was postponed
earlier in the season.
Boxscore
| J Robinson | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| C Rodriguez | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| B Clark | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| B Howard | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| S Benthal | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| T Guntle | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| B Longacre | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| J Long | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G Lebouef | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| J Bradley | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| K Campbell | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
2B: Robinson; Howard
3B: Longacre; Bradley
| K Campbell | 4 | 16 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| J Long (W) | 1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| B Clark (S) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |