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Terry Hancks' game tieing two-run
triple and Terry Lawrence's sacrifice fly accounted for three Moline runs in the fifth
inning yesterday as the Maroons came from behind to hand Rock Island a 4-3 Quad City Metro
and Western Big 6 Conference defeat at Moline's Holmgren Field. The Islanders, now winless in two
outings this season, led the Moliners 3-2 entering the bottom of the fifth before Moline
struck for it's three markers off loser Mark Green.
Green opened the gates
for Moline when he walked leadoff hitter Jim Michaelsen and cleanup slugger Mark Mahieu
followed with a single to short.
Hanks then tied the
game when he belted a Green fastball deep into the rightfield corner. Michaelsen and
Mahieu scoring without a play.
Moline Coach Bill
Baltzell put in Jim Roach to run to run for the junior Hancks, and Lawrence followed with
a deep sacrifice fly to center. Roach tagged on the play, and the throw to the plate by
Rock Island's Mike Thomas was perfect. Green somehow cut the peg off, and his relay to
catcher Dave Sullivan sailed high over his head as Roach slid in with the winner.
The Rocks mounted a
serious threat in the top of the seventh before winner pat Johnson could put out the fire.
Brent Allison opened
the final frame with a walk and Sullivan forced Allison at second on a tap to third.
Thomas then reached by an error on Lawrence at second.
Another pinch hitter,
Orlando Edgerson, worked a walk to load the sacks, bringing up second baseman Mike
Nesseler. The fiery little Nesseler went the whole route with Johnson (3-2) before lining
a wicked shot that second sacker Michaelsen stabbed for the game ending out.
The Rocks bunched all their
runs in the fourth, one coming on a single by Allison and the other on a one-bagger by
Thomas. |
