Ninth-inning rally ties game, but Doggy Paddlers unable to score go-ahead run in extra-inning loss

QUINCY — The Quincy Doggy Paddlers’ furious rally gave them a chance to win in the late innings against the Clinton LumberKings on Wednesday, but the game-winning hit eluded them.

The Doggy Paddlers trailed the LumberKings 6-3 in the bottom of the ninth before scoring three runs to send the game to extra innings, but the LumberKings’ run in the top of the 10th stood up as the Doggy Paddlers went down in order in the bottom of the 10th, giving the LumberKings a 7-6 victory at QU Stadium.

Run-scoring singles by Brayden Roberts and General Schofield made it a 6-5 game in the ninth, setting the stage for Byron Blaise’s pinch-hit, broken-bat RBI single that tied the game. Ashton Ertz followed Blaise by grounding out to end the inning.

Jaylen Ziegler gave the LumberKings a 7-6 lead in the top of the 10th with an RBI single up the middle. In the bottom of the inning, LumberKings reliever Luke Kehrli induced a pair of lineouts from Jimmy Koza and Wandel Campana with Ertz as the automatic runner at second. Kehrli intentionally walked Tommy Harrison then struck out Brady Kindhart to end the game.

Roberts went 2 for 3 with two RBI singles and was the only Doggy Paddlers player with multiple hits. Campana went 1 for 3 and reached base four times. Ziegler went 4 for 6.

The Doggy Paddlers (15-32, 6-18 second half) will embark on a six-game road trip before returning home for the season finale against the Burlington Bees on July 31. The LumberKings improved their record to 31-15 and 13-8 in the second half.