Clinton Lumber Kings

CLINTON, Iowa – The Clinton LumberKings (12-7) defeated the Cape Catfish (10-12) 6-5 in seven innings on Saturday night at NelsonCorp Field. The game was called due to the weather. With the game beyond five full innings of play, the game was ruled final by the umpiring crew.

The LumberKings' offense was led by a balanced attack, with six players driving in runs. The team collected 12 hits, including a home run from Brayden Buchanan and a double from Karson Grout. On the defensive side, the LumberKings overcame two errors to keep the Cape Catfish at bay in the later innings.

The Cape Catfish took an early lead in the first inning when Alex Kowalski grounded out to second base, allowing Henley Parker to score. The LumberKings quickly responded in the second inning, with Karson Grout doubling to bring RJ Ruais home and Jalen Martinez driving in another run to put Clinton ahead 2-1. However, the Catfish bounced back in the third inning with a four-run surge, capitalizing on a fielder's choice by JJ Williams, an error, and a couple of RBI groundouts to take a commanding 5-2 lead.

Despite the setback, the LumberKings clawed their way back into the game. In the fifth inning, Brayden Buchanan launched a solo home run to left field, narrowing the gap to 5-3. RJ Ruais followed with an RBI single to bring Clinton within one run. The momentum shifted decisively in the sixth inning when a wild pitch allowed Jalen Martinez to score, tying the game at 5-5. Blake Timmons then delivered the game-winning hit, a single to right field that brought home James Hackett for the final run, securing a 6-5 victory for Clinton.

Clinton's pitching staff also played a crucial role in the comeback. Drew Duckhorn started the game, allowing five runs (four earned) over 2.1 innings. Ean DiPasquale provided a stellar relief effort, shutting down the Cape Catfish over the final 4.1 innings, allowing just two hits and no runs while striking out four batters to earn the win.

The LumberKings hit the road for the next three days. They will make their first stop in Lafayette for a two-game series with game one starting at 2/3 p.m. CT/ET. Game two will start at 11/12 a.m/p.m. CT/ET. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. Catch all the action on PLTV or 100.3 WCCI-FM.