LumberKings rip River Bandits

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Staff report | Tuesday, July 1, 2008 3:59 PM CDT | () comments

CLINTON, Iowa — They call them the LumberKings for a reason.

Clinton lived up to its nickname Monday night, clubbing 25 hits in a 17-5 Midwest League rout of the Quad-Cities River Bandits.

The loss was the most lopsided of the season and worst for Quad-Cities since a 13-0 beating at Beloit on Sept. 2, 2007.

It was Clinton’s night from the start at Alliant Energy Field.

Taking the mound for the first time since a solid seven-inning start last week, River Bandits starting pitcher Brian Broderick didn’t last through two innings Monday.

The LumberKings belted 12 hits and scored nine runs in 11/3 innings against the right hander who gave up singles to the first five batters he faced and fell behind 7-0 at the end of one inning.

A two-run double to left by Jose Felix followed by a two-run triple lined by Davis Stoneburner to center did most of the early damage as the LumberKings put together their most-productive inning of the season.

Six Clinton batters collected at least three hits in the game, and the league’s top-hitting team had passed its previous season-best total of 20 hits set in a June 22 game against Kane County by the time Mitch Moreland doubled with nobody out in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Tim Smith led the way with a 4-for-5 night at the plate that included a pair of doubles. Jonathan Greene slugged a pair of home runs, the first during a two-run second inning, and Cristian Santana added to the River Bandits’ misery by belting a grand slam to left during a five-run sixth inning.

Santana’s eighth homer of the season came after Quad-Cities had cut into Clinton’s 12-0 lead with four runs of its own in the sixth inning.

Nick Peoples and Domnit Bolivar each hit two-run homers of their own off to end the start of LumberKings starter Michael Kirkman.

Bolivar’s homer was his second in as many games for the River Bandits, who had nine hits of their own in the loss.

River Bandits scoreboard

The score

Clinton LumberKings 17,

Quad-Cities River Bandits 5

On deck

Cedar Rapids Kernels at Quad-Cities River Bandits, 7 p.m., today, Modern Woodmen Park. Probable pitchers: Cedar Rapids, Trevor Reckling (5-2, 2.31 ERA); Quad-Cities, Josh Wilson (1-1, 4.12). Halloween in July Night; Davenport Noon Optimist Club Youth Appreciation Night and Two-for-Tuesday 2-for-1 tickets

Arburr honored

Quad-Cities first baseman Matt Arburr was named Midwest League co-player of the week Monday.

Arburr, a 17th-round pick in the 2007 draft from Pace University, hit .391 for the week. In six games, he hit four home runs, drove eight runs home and had six extra-base hits.

The Bristol, Conn., native leads Quad-Cities with 13 homers on the season and has 33 RBI along with a .250 batting average.

Arburr shared the award with Cedar Rapids outfielder Todd Johnson.

Clinton makes move

A roster move the LumberKings made Monday put Michael Kirkman on the mound to face Quad-Cities in place of scheduled starter Fabio Castillo.

Kirkman, called up from short-season Spokane where he was

1-1 with a 0.00 ERA in two starts, earned his first Midwest League win by striking out six and walking one while scattering five hits over 52/3 innings.

He filled the roster spot that opened when the Rangers promoted reliever Hector Nelo, 1-3 with a 2.96 in 17 relief appearances with Clinton, to high-A Bakersfield.

Plenty of offense

The LumberKings’ 25 hits fell seven shy of the Midwest League record of 32 set by Danville during a game on June 17, 1951.

On the tube

Tonight’s game between Quad-Cities and Cedar Rapids is scheduled to be televised live throughout Iowa and in northern Illinois on Mediacom Connections, which is on Ch. 22 for Mediacom customers in the Quad-Cities. The game is the second of six from Modern Woodmen Park that will be televised this season.

The box score

Quad-Cities ab r h bi Clinton ab r h bi

Marmol ss 5 1 2 0 Beltre cf 5 2 2 0

Peoples lf 4 1 1 3 Lawson 2b 6 2 3 0

Rivera dh 5 0 1 0 Moreland 1b 6 3 3 2

Arburr 1b 4 1 1 0 Greene 3b 5 4 3 4

Pham cf 5 0 0 0 Smith dh 5 3 4 0

Bolivar 3b 4 1 2 2 Santana lf 6 1 2 4

Oeder 2b 4 0 1 0 Felix c 6 1 3 2

Espinoza c 3 1 2 0 Stnburner ss 6 1 3 3

Ingram rf 3 0 0 0 Murphy rf 5 0 2 1

Totals 37 5 10 5 Totals 50 17 25 16

Quad-Cities 000 004 100 — 5

Clinton 720 125 00x — 17

E — Arburr, Marmol; Kirkman. DP — Quad-Cities 1. LOB — Quad-Cities 9; Clinton 13. 2B — Felix, Moreland 2, Smith 2. 3B — Stoneburner. HR — Peoples (2), Bolivar (3); Greene 2 (11); Santana (8). SF — Peoples.

Quad-Cities IP H R ER BB SO

Broderick (L, 3-6) 11/3 12 9 9 0 0

Gonzalez 31/3 5 3 2 2 4

Garner 2/3 4 5 5 0 1

Spade 12/3 1 0 0 0 0

Parise 1 3 0 0 0 3

Clinton

Kirkman (W, 1-0) 52/3 5 4 4 1 6

Quintero 21/3 4 1 1 2 4

Castillo 1 1 0 0 0 2

HBP — Smith (by Broderick), Greene (by Garner). WP — Quintero, Castillo. U — Brandon Maisun, Nathan Thompson. T — 2:48. A — 932

Contact the sports desk at (563) 383-2285 or sports@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.