Rockford drops Fielders 10-8 in extra innings

ZION, Ill. – The Lake County Fielders (39-57) and Rockford RiverHawks (45-50) battled through ten innings where the RiverHawks came out on top10-8 to drop the Fielders in game one of the four game set in Zion on Friday night.

Lake County jumped on Mike Wood early, plating two runs in the first after Josh Short shot a double to right-center to score Kyle Higgins. Juan Valdes followed it up with an RBI single of his own to put Lake County up 2-0.

The Fielders added two more in the third with a two-run single off the bat of Amos Ramon to score Guillermo Martinez and Short.

Rockford took the lead in the fourth after Bud Long started the scoring for the RiverHawks with an RBI single to score Victor Diaz who reached on a walk earlier in the inning. Franco Valdes delivered the big blow of the inning with a three run shot to right, putting the RiverHawks up 5-4. Justin Jordan was pulled after pitching four innings for Lake County surrendering five hits for five runs (one earned) while walking one and striking out five.

Lake County tied the game in their half of the fourth after Cody Strait reached on an error and was advanced to third on an Anthony Esquer single. Strait was brought around on a sac fly off the bat of Martinez.

The RiverHawks regained the lead in the fifth off Fielders reliever Ryan Falcon after Victor Diaz hit his fifth home run of the year.

The Fielders erased that lead in their half of the fifth after Jeff Dunbar crushed a two-run homer over the left field wall. Kyle Higgins added a run with an RBI single that plated Esquer to give the Fielders an 8-6 lead.

RiverHawks tied the game again in their half of the sixth. Long led of with a single and Jay Bresnahan followed with a double to chase Falcon from the game. David Wasylak came in from the bullpen and allowed Long to score from third on a wild pitch. Valdes came up with an RBI groundout to score Bresnahan to knot the game at eight.  Falcon was tagged with all three runs in the inning.

The bullpens for both teams came in and pitched four scoreless innings to push the game into the tenth. With Marco Gonzalez on the mound for Lake County, Rockford plated two runs after Travis Scott led off with a single and scored after two consecutive wild pitches left the hand of Gonzalez.

Scott Roehl was able to retire the side in the bottom of the tenth to preserve the win for the RiverHawks and earn his 18^th save of the season. Brett Durand was credited with the win after pitching four scoreless innings, surrendering three hits, striking out seven and walking only one.

The Fielders look to even up the series tomorrow at the ballpark in Zion as John Brownell will take the mound for the Fielders opposite Kyle Ruwe. First pitch is slated for 6:00pm on a Sports Physical Therapy and Rehab Specialists fireworks night.