Sawyer's Game Winner Rallies Rascals

Danny Sawyer got a shaving-cream pie in the face from exuberant teammates late Tuesday night.     

The River City catcher loved every minute of it.     

Sawyer capped off another in a series of incredible finishes with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Rascals a thrilling 11-10 win over Windy City in front of 722 fans at .     

River City, which sports a league-best 49-17 record, posted its most impressive comeback in a season full of rallies and late-minute heroics.      

Windy City built up a 9-4 lead through the middle of the contest and took that five-run cushion into the eighth inning before the Rascals sprung to life.     

River City scored six times in the eighth to take a 10-9 lead and then re-rallied in the bottom of the frame after surrendering a one-run cushion.     

"There is no quit in this team," said Sawyer. "We don't care how far behind we are, we're going to play nine innings."     

Rascals veteran designated hitter/outfielder Stephen Holdren has seen his club charge back on several occasions this season. Tuesday's rally from a late five-run hole was nothing new.     

"When it comes down to it, everybody stepped up in their last at-bat of the night,"' said Holdren. "That's why this team is so special."      Sawyer wore the foam cream across his face like a badge of honor. It still stuck to his face 20 minutes after the game as he re-lived the moment.    

"There was never a doubt in my mind," Sawyer said of the comeback. "It's kind of a joke in our dugout because we've done this so much. It's just like, "Hey, it's time to wake up and get going. Sure enough, somebody always comes up and does the job for us."     

Sawyer was the hero on this night.     

"This team feels like it can win at any time," said manager Steve Brook. "No matter how much we're down. They come out with a lot of confidence.     

Sawyer, who had three hits and drove in five runs, was one of many standouts on this memorable evening. Bobby Burk played a key role in the eight-inning explosion. Doug Sanders went 4-for-4 and reached base five times. Chad Maddox starting the winning rally with a single to lead off the ninth. Jason Patton tied the game 9-9 with a huge hit.   

"It's a different person every night," says Sawyer.     

In the Rascals previous home game on July 29, Sanders ripped a grand slam in the eighth inning to bring his team back for 12-9 win.    

Tuesday's return from the dead was even more impressive.    

Trailing 9-4, River City muscled its way back into the contest in the eighth. Swayer ripped a bases-loaded single to bring in two runs. Burk followed with a two-run double to cut the deficit to 9-8. Eric Williams then singled to tie the game. Patton then made it 10-9 with a base hit.   

Maddox started the winning rally with a one-strike single up the middle in the ninth. Jareck West laid down a perfect bunt to move Maddox into scoring position. It was West's first sacrifice bunt in two years.    

Sawyer then came through with the dagger.    

"I think they tried to brush me off the plate with the first pitch," Sawyer said. "I knew they were going to come back with the fastball."    

Sawyer made no mistake lashing the ball up the middle.    

Reliever Derek Miramontes picked up the win to improve to 7-0. He gave up a run in the top of the ninth.    

River City starter Zack Sterner gutted his way through six innings allowing six earned runs. He had not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his previous five starts.    

The Rascals jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first on run-scoring singles by Joash Brodin and Maddox. Sawyer capped the rally with a two-run single.

Windy City, which fell to 35-32, scored three times in the second and once in the third to tie the game 4-4. The ThunderBolts tallied single runs in the fifth and sixth before erupting for three runs in the eighth.

A bases-loaded triple by Michel Torres pushed the lead to 9-4 and appeared to put the game away.

"You can never count this team out," said Holdren. "I think people should know that by now."        

Notes from the Dawg Pound

• River City has hit a league-leading 80 home runs. The Rascals managed just 65 homers all of last season.
• Wayde Kitchens (1-0, 4.22) will start in the second game of the best-of-three series on Wednesday. Kitchens was one of the top rookies in the league last season posting a 5-7 mark and 2.77 ERA with Oakland County.
• All-Star third baseman Chris McClendon hopes to return to the lineup sometime during the current six-game homestand, which ends Sunday with 5:05 p.m. against Joliet. McClendon suffered a pulled hamstring on July 23. McClendon was on a 28-game on-base streak at the time of the injury.
• Holdren, with 97 career home runs, sits behind Gateway standout Charlie Lisk (101) in the all-time home run list.   
• The Rascals have committed a league-low 50 errors on the season for a .976 fielding percentage.
• Windy City has hit a league-worst 17 home runs this year.
• The temperature at game-time Tuesday was 102 degrees with a heat index of 111.