Doggy Paddlers unable to hold off LumberKings, lose both ends of Prospect League doubleheader

CLINTON, Iowa — The Quincy Doggy Paddlers rebounded well after an 11-run loss in game one of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Clinton LumberKings, but a late-inning rally thwarted the Doggy Paddlers’ bid at a twinbill split.

The Doggy Paddlers mustered just four hits against LumberKings pitchers Brody Meyers and Hunter Dierksen in an 11-0 loss in the first game at NelsonCorp Field but jumped on top in the first inning of game two with as Wandel Campana delivered an RBI single and scored on a wild pitch two batters later.

The LumberKings manufactured a run in both the fourth and fifth innings to tie the game at 2. The game remained deadlocked until the bottom of the seventh. Isaiah Naylor relieved Doggy Paddlers starting pitcher Jason Schmierer, who only surrendered three hits and two earned runs but had reached the maximum alloted pitch count of 95 during the final batter of the sixth inning.

Naylor hit Cougar Cooke leading off the inning, then ninth-place hitter Jaylen Ziegler reached on an error. The next batter, Nick Venteicher, singled to center field to drive in Cooke and walk off the Doggy Paddlers 3-2.

Jimmy Koza and Tommy Harrison each had two hits in game two, and Harrison had three of the Doggy Paddlers’ four hits in game one. Quincy (14-20) and Clinton (26-10) will square off again at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at NelsonCorp Field before the teams play another doubleheader Friday at QU Stadium.