KC Johnson scored a run on his birthday as the Devils come from behind in the late innings to win 11-7 over the Rockford River Bandits.

 

The Diamond Devils scored two easy runs in the first on five straight walks by the River Bandits pitchers but the win would not come as easy, as Rockford put up a fight. The Bandits took the lead in the third inning when they roughed up the Devils starting pitcher Pat McPherson. The Bandits hit the ball well but the Devils defense did not help out Pat when they committed three errors in the inning that allowed Rockford runners to take extra base. The Bandits had five hits in the inning with the big hit coming from Ben Fontana who hit a three run homer.

 

The Devils fought back and tied the score in the top of the fifth only to give it back in the bottom half of the inning. Rockford would add an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth to take a two run lead.

 

Andrew Engebretson In the top half of the seventh inning the Devils would take back the lead in a big way. Matt Goodwald led off the inning with a base hit and moved to second on KC Johnson’s second bunt hit of the game. In the next at bat, Adam Gregg walked to load the bases for Andrew Engebretson. Three pitches later, Andrew turned on an inside pitch, took seven steps down the first baseline, paused and watched a line drive fly over the left field fence for his first career grand slam.

 

The Devils took the lead and this time would not relinquish it as Andrew Pratt who had entered the game to pitch in the sixth, threw a scoreless seventh and eighth inning to pick up the win. Two insurance runs were added in the ninth and after CJ Goodwald threw a scoreless ninth, the Devils left Rockford with an 11-7 win.