Clinton Lumber Kings

CLINTON, Iowa – The Clinton Giants (14-8) dominated the Normal CornBelters (10-15) 12-7 on Thursday night at NelsonCorp Field, securing a much-needed victory in their race to clinch the first half of the Northwest Division and a spot in the playoffs. The LumberKings are now a half-game out behind the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp. 

Ben Swails was the standout player for the Giants, delivering a stellar performance that included a two-run home run and a sacrifice fly. Swails went 2-for-2, driving in three runs and playing a crucial role in the Giants' offensive outburst. His contributions in the fourth and seventh innings were pivotal in extending the Giants' lead and securing the win.

Recapping the game from the start, the Giants jumped ahead in the first inning. Will Stark scored on a sacrifice fly by Cougar Cooke, and Chase Womack added another run, advancing on a single by Rayth Petersen. The CornBelters responded in the second inning with a sacrifice fly by Terrick Thompson-Allen, but the Giants held their ground.

In the fourth inning, the Giants' offense exploded. Cooke's solo home run kicked off the scoring, followed by Hackett's RBI single, and Swails' two-run homer, giving the Giants a commanding 6-1 lead. The CornBelters attempted to close the gap with a two-run homer by William Flanigan in the fifth and an RBI groundout by Tyler Thompson in the sixth, but the Giants responded with a massive sixth inning of their own.

Thein's RBI single began the rally, and a series of wild pitches and errors allowed multiple runs to score. Womack's RBI double capped off the inning, with the Giants scoring five runs to extend their lead to 11-4. In the seventh inning, Swails added a sacrifice fly, bringing Petersen home and further solidifying their lead at 12-4.

Despite a late-game effort from the CornBelters, including an RBI single by Eddie Letamendi and a hit-by-pitch RBI for Griffin Brown, the Giants' pitching staff effectively shut down their opponents. Kyle Lehmann earned the win, delivering six solid innings and allowing four runs while striking out four batters. Relievers Elijah Green, Ian Dittmer, and Jack Turgasen combined to close out the game, despite a few hiccups in the final innings.

The LumberKings travel to Normal on Friday, June 27 for a doubleheader. If the LumberKings sweep the CornBelters in tomorrow's doubleheader, they can take sole possession of first place and keep the Pistol Shrimp at bay in their hopes of clinching the first half of the Northwest Division. With the Johnstown Mill Rats defeating the Pistol Shrimp 5-0 in Pennsylvania, Illinois Valley's magic number remains at three. 

The LumberKings control their destiny to clinch the first half. The LumberKings' earliest clinch date is Saturday, June 29 should they win their next three games with ILV losing one of their final two games. Should ILV win the final two games of their season, CLI can still clinch if they win their final four games of the first half.

First pitch is set for 5:00 pm for game one and 8:00 p.m. for game two. Times are subject to change. You can catch all the action on PLTV or WCCI-FM 100.3.