Elkins finishes a home run shy of the cycle as Quad Cities reduces playoff magic number to 1

 

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AUG. 24, 2013) - Quad Cities River Bandits left-handers Brian Holmes and Mitchell Lambson combined to allow one run on six hits, while left fielder Danry Vasquez and second baseman Austin Elkins each had three hits in a 4-1 victory over the Burlington Bees Saturday night at Community Field.

 

Quad Cities (36-24 second half, 74-55 overall) won its third straight game and remained 4 ½ games behind first-place Cedar Rapids (41-20, 81-48) in the Midwest League Western Division second-half standings. With a loss by the Peoria Chiefs Saturday and nine games remaining in the regular season, the River Bandits can clinch a second-half playoff spot with one victory or one Peoria Chiefs loss.

 

The River Bandits took the lead in the first inning against Bees right-hander Pat Lowery (4-9). Shortstop Carlos Correa drew a two-out walk, and Vasquez singled, before first baseman Bobby Borchering lined an RBI single down the right-field line.

 

Holmes (5-3) allowed the Bees' only run in the first inning, as shortstop Angel Rosa lifted a deep solo home run down the left-field line with two outs. Holmes went on to scatter a total of six hits and one walk with five strikeouts while pitching six innings for the third time in four starts. Burlington only advanced two runners as far as second base after the first inning.

 

Quad Cities quickly retook the lead in the second inning, as Elkins drove a triple to the warning track in right field to start a day that ended with him a home run shy of the cycle. Catcher Roberto Pena grounded a ball that was bobbled by third baseman Garrett Cannizaro, allowing the go-ahead run to score.

 

The visitors added on in the third inning, as Vasquez hit leadoff single, Borchering was hit by a pitch, and third baseman Rio Ruiz hit an RBI double to left-center field for a 3-1 lead. After Lowery struck out Elkins, Pena and right fielder Jordan Scott drew consecutive walks to bring in a run. It ended Lowery's night after 2 1/3 innings in which he allowed four earned runs on six hits, three walks and one hit batter with three strikeouts. Bees right-hander Daniel Hurtado got the last two outs of the third and pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings. The Bees used four relievers to shut out the River Bandits for 6 1/3 innings. Quad Cities left 14 runners on base.

 

Lambson started the seventh with a 4-1 lead and struck out six of the first seven batters he faced. After hitting designated hitter Exicardo Cayones with a pitch, he retired the last two batters on a lineout to right field and popup to first base for his first save of the season.

 

Saturday's victory also means The Captain's Table at 4801 River Drive in Moline will offer The Captain's Table Victory Discount Sunday, Aug. 25. Anyone who mentions the River Bandits victory can receive a free appetizer or dessert with the purchase of two lunches or dinners with beverages on Sunday, Aug. 25. Quad Cities continues its series in Burlington at 2:00 p.m. Sunday. River Bandits right-hander Mark Appel (2-1) will start against Bees left-hander Tyler DeLoach (5-4).

 

UP NEXT: The River Bandits' final homestand of the regular season kicks off Saturday, Aug. 31, with a Dallas Clark Bobblehead Giveaway presented by Barrel House 211 and CBS4 when gates open at 5:30 p.m. for a 7 p.m. game. Fireworks will also follow the game. Single-game tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office at Modern Woodmen Park, by phone at  563-324-3000 and online at www.riverbandits.com. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $50. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

DES MOINES, IA (08/23/2013)(readMedia)

Awards Given at Iowa State Fair Horseshoe Tournament

Competitors participated in the Iowa State Men's Championship division of the Horseshoe Pitching Tournament Sunday at the 2013 Iowa State Fair.

The State Fair hosts Horseshoe Pitching every Fair day. Division winners are crowned daily. All Horseshoe Pitching competitions take place on the clay courts just east of Farm Bureau Pioneer Hall.

Complete results below:

Championship Class

1) Dave Mittlestadt, Jewell

2) Joseph Smith, Gladbrook

3) Vern Kollasch, Iowa City

4) Doug P. Anderson, Stratford

5) Pat Simon Sr., Waterloo

6) Dennis L. Hopkins, Missouri Valley

7) Ronnie Burgess, Cedar Rapids

8) Tim Pew, Des Moines

9) John Peterson, Ottumwa

10) Randy Fox, Council Bluffs

11) Tom Cranston, Keswick

12) Marvin Dirks, Fonda

Class A

1) Paul Beaman, Des Moines

2) Rick Hudson, Stuart

3) Steve Ronk, Council Bluffs

4) Jan Warwick, Ames

5) Carl Kaiser, Des Moines

Class B

1) Kirk Vannausdle, Elliott

2) Richard Cranston, Keswick

3) Steve Hyler, Winterset

4) Steve Hatch, Knoxville

Class C

1) Jesse W. Dalton, Indianola

2) Kenny Wiese, Story City

3) Darwin Mott, Hartford

4) Kevin Bailey, Prairie City

5) Rick Allen, Crescent

6) Ralph Davis, Ankeny

Class D

1) Tom Flores, Des Moines

2) Randy Clark, Monroe

3) Kevin Pieper, Stuart

4) Lloyd Schropp, Parnell

5) Kevin Turbett, Tama

6) Rusty Dalton, Indianola

Class E

1) Bruce Dennis, Prairie City

2) Anthony Buttrey, Des Moines

3) Frank MacArthu, Davenport

4) Russell Wiese, Roland

Ribbons Awarded in Iowa State Fair Duroc Show

ISU Teaching of Ames exhibited the Champion Boar in the Duroc Swine Show Friday at the 2013 Iowa State Fair.

Ray Williamson of Eagle Grove exhibited the Reserve Champion Boar.

Rowdy Campfield of Runnells claimed Champion and Reserve Champion Gilt honors.

Premier Exhibitor honors went to Kay Christian of Woodward. The award is presented to the exhibitor earning the highest point total in individual breeding classes of competition.

Additional results below:

Gilts

1) Stewart's Duroc Farm, Waverly

2) DCM Hamps and Durocs, Marion

3) Kay Christian, Woodward

4) Kay Christian, Woodward

5) Kay Christian, Woodward

Gilts

1) Rowdy Campfield, Runnells

2) Rowdy Campfield, Runnells

3) DCM Hamps and Durocs, Marion

4) Cale Niehaus, Sac City

5) Larry Kastler, Woolstock

6) Warrick Brothers, Prairie City

Gilts

1) Rowdy Campfield, Runnells

2) Brett Roquet, Fremont

3) McCulloh Family, Camanche

4) Ryan Iverson, Grinnell

5) Broek Swine Genetics, Sioux Center

6) Rowdy Campfield, Runnells

7) Ray Williamson, Eagle Grove

8) Ray Williamson, Eagle Grove

9) Miller Farms/ Millarbd Berks, Knoxville

10) Miller Farms/ Millarbd Berks, Knoxville

Gilts

1) Triggs Show Pigs, Mount Ayr

2) Caeden Bakker, Dike

3) Triggs Show Pigs, Mount Ayr

4) Doyle Jamison, Winterset

5) Doyle Jamison, Winterset

6) Doyle Jamison, Winterset

Boars

1) Kay Christian, Woodward

Boars

1) Jack Bair and Family, Elkhart

2) Toenjes Show Pigs, Center Junction

3) Kay Christian, Woodward

4) Allen D. Krivohlavek, Dorchester, Neb.

Boars

1) ISU Teaching, Ames

2) DCM Hamps and Durocs, Marion

3 DCM Hamps and Durocs, Marion

4) Triggs Show Pigs, Mount Ayr

5) Martin Family, Fayette

Boars

1) Ray Williamson, Eagle Grove

2) Ray Williamson, Eagle Grove

Banners Awarded in Iowa State Fair Simmental Cattle Show

RB Simmentals of Correctionville was awarded the Grand Champion Purebred Bull and Iowa Champion Bull banners in the Simmental Cattle Show Saturday at the 2013 Iowa State Fair.

Reserve Grand Champion Purebred Bull and Iowa Reserve Champion Bull honors were awarded to Kitzerow Cattle Company of Saint Charles.

Trey Jass of Garner won Grand Champion Purebred Female honors. The Reserve Grand Champion Purebred Female was awarded to Gerdes Show Cattle of West Point.

Additional results:  http://readme.readmedia.com/Banners-Awarded-in-Iowa-State-Fair-Simmental-Cattle-Show/7180471

"Nothing Compares" to the Iowa State Fair. The 2013 Fair ended August 18. The 2014 Iowa State Fair is set August 7-17. For more information, call 800/545-FAIR or visit iowastatefair.org.

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MOLINE, Ill. (August 22, 2013) - The Quad City Mallards have re-signed defenseman Matt Duffy, the Mallards announced today.

"Matt's a very dependable defenseman who provides veteran leadership and who we expect to be a key player for us again this season," said Mallards coach and general manager Terry Ruskowski.  "He brings great effort shift-in and shift-out and is a guy we can count on in important situations- including the power play, where plays an important role for us."

Duffy, 27, returns for a third season with the Mallards after finishing last year tied for fourth among Central Hockey League defensemen in points (42), fifth among blue liners in assists (33) and tied for seventh among defensemen in goals (9).  The 6' 2", 200-pound Windham, Maine, native finished ninth overall in plus/minus rating (+19).

Duffy first joined the Mallards in January of 2012 after mononucleosis kept him off the ice for the first half of the 2011-12 season.  He scored three goals and totaled 11 points in 21 games in his first campaign in the Quad Cities.

Duffy was originally selected by the Florida Panthers in the fourth round of the 2005 National Hockey League Entry Draft with the one hundred fourth overall choice.  After a four-year collegiate career at the University of Maine, Duffy broke into professional hockey at the tail end of the 2008-09 season, seeing time with both the American Hockey League's Rochester Americans and the ECHL's Florida Everblades.  The following year, in his first full pro campaign, Duffy produced five goals and 14 points in 52 games with the Everblades and scored once and recorded five points in 11 games with the Americans.

Duffy split the bulk of the 2010-11 season between the ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings and Gwinnett Gladiators and also played two games for the Portland Pirates of the AHL.  He scored four goals and totaled 10 points in 56 ECHL games.

Duffy played 165 career games at Maine, scoring 21 goals and notching 43 points.  Duffy went to the Frozen Four with the Black Bears each of his first two years at Orono.  He enjoyed his most productive season as a collegian when he scored seven goals and totaled 17 points in 39 games as a senior in 2008-09.

The Mallards will open their seventeenth season- and their fourth in the CHL- when they host the Rapid City Rush on Saturday night, October 19.  Mallards 2013-14 season tickets as well as half season tickets and flex packs are now on sale.  The Mallards offer ticket packages to meet any budget and season ticket holders also receive a host of additional benefits, including a unique season ticket holder Mallards jersey.  More ticket package information is available by calling the Mallards at 309-277-1364 or emailing info@myqcmallards.com.

About the Quad City Mallards
The Quad City Mallards are approaching their seventeenth season and their fourth in the Central Hockey League (CHL).  One of the winningest teams in all of minor league hockey, the Mallards competed in the United Hockey League (UHL) from 1995 through 2007 and in the International Hockey League (IHL) in 2009-10.  The Mallards' proud history has seen them capture the UHL's Colonial Cup Championship three times (1997, 1998, 2001) and secure that league's Tarry Cup four times (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002) for the best overall regular season record.  In 2001, the Mallards made professional hockey history, recording their sixth consecutive season with 50 or more wins, a feat that has yet to be matched.  The i wireless Center provides a unique environment for hockey and features one-of-a-kind seating areas such as the Nest for groups and functions and the exclusive Drake Club.  For more information on the Quad City Mallards or for Mallards tickets go to www.myqcmallards.com.  Fans can also follow the Mallards via Twitter at twitter.com/myqcmallards

and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/quadcitymallards.

Several New Records Set for Grandstand Entertainment, Livestock Auction, and Horse Racing

 

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn today announced that the recently concluded Illinois State Fair reported its highest attendance in more than ten years. A total of 961,142 fairgoers passed through the gates this year, an increase of five percent - or 42,707 visitors - compared to a year ago, when attendance was 918,435. The figure is the fair's highest attendance since 2002, when an estimated 1.2 million people visited the fair.

"No matter how you add it up, this was a great fair and these numbers are good for the Illinois economy," Governor Quinn said. "While this year's high attendance is encouraging and makes the effort that goes into putting on the event worthwhile, it is what can't be quantified - those lasting memories the fair creates - that is most important."

"A day at the fair is fun for everyone, and the families who attended this year likely will never forget their trip to Springfield. I hope those memories will keep them coming back for years to come."

Several records were set during the 11-day run of the fair as well.

The Grandstand entertainment was the highest-grossing line-up in State Fair history with ticket sales of $2.03 million. The sales figure eclipsed the previous record of $1.57 million set just last year. Grandstand attendance totaled 53,287, the most since 2000, when 54,345 tickets were sold.

Toby Keith was the biggest draw - his concert sold 9,367 tickets, 144 more than the Styx and REO Speedwagon concert (9,223). Governor Quinn is one of Toby Keith's biggest fans and attended his concert, where he declared "Toby Keith Day" in Illinois.

Oneida teen Nelson England's grand champion steer sold for $62,000, one of seven record prices that the fair's prize-winning junior livestock received during the Governor's Sale of Champions. Other records were for the Land of Lincoln steer ($50,100), the grand champion barrow ($25,000), the Land of Lincoln barrow ($40,650), the Land of Lincoln wether ($19,100), the grand champion meat goat ($11,050), and the Land of Lincoln meat goat ($3,750).  Altogether, $222,650 was raised for the youngsters who exhibited the animals, most of whom plan to use the proceeds to help pay for college, as well as the state's 4-H and FFA youth education programs.

Pq Three posted the fastest mile ever for a two-year-old pacer. The horse, owned by Obermeier and Quaid Stables of Evergreen Park and driven by Mike Oosting, set the record with a winning time of 1 minute 50.0 seconds, eclipsing the former mark of 1:50.2 set in 2005 by Lucky's Z Tam and Hot N Sport.

The increased spending at the fair boosts purchasing at local businesses, which in turn stimulates economic growth in the area. The Illinois Department of Revenue collected a record $257,584 in sales taxes from Illinois State Fair vendors. That's seven percent more than was collected a year ago.  With the sales tax rate in Sangamon County at 6.25 percent, that figure means fairgoers spent $4.1 million on corn dogs, lemon shake-ups, and assorted trinkets this year. Gate and parking revenue was $1,530,676, breaking the previous record set in 2012 of $1,513,884. North American Midway Entertainment, the fair's carnival contractor, reported record gross receipts of $1.4 million, surpassing the $1.29 million it collected a year ago.

"The Illinois State Fair is always great for the local economy, but this year was the best in recent memory," Springfield Mayor Mike Houston said. "Visitors have a good time at the fair, local merchants benefit, and we get to help put on a great ten-day show. The Capital City loves the Illinois State Fair," Springfield Mayor Michael Houston said.

"First and foremost, I'd like to thank fairgoers for their patronage," State Fair Manager Amy Bliefnick said. "They demonstrated that the State Fair truly is a place 'Where Illinois Comes Together.'  I'd also like to thank Governor Quinn, Director Flider, and my staff for their support and assistance. These achievements only could have resulted from a team effort."

Planning will begin almost immediately for next year's fair, which will be held Aug. 7 - 14, 2014.

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