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Sports

All-Star Sterner Struggles in Rascals' Loss

River City gets shut out in 8-0 loss.

River City righthander Zack Sterner is not perfect.     

The  finally came back down to earth on Tuesday with a mere mortal performance.    

The Franklin, Pennsylvania native gave up a season-high five earned runs and the Rascals' offense took the night off as the WildThings rolled to an 8-0 win before 811 at .    

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Sterner, who was recently selected to the All-Star team, cruised into the contest with a 5-0 mark and a league-leading 1.76 ERA. He had allowed two earned runs or less in his last six starts.     

But that magic disappeared as the Rascals (30-13) dropped only their third game in the last 17 contests.     

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Sterner was coming off one of his finest efforts of the season - a complete-game three-hitter in a 7-1 win at Washington last Thursday.    

But there was no repeat performance on Tuesday. Sterner walked five, struck out three and never appeared comfortable during the five-inning, 84-pitch stint. His ERA ballooned to 2.31.    

"He was a little erratic early," River City manager Steve Brook said. "They hammered him when they got the opportunity."    

Rascals designated hitter Stephen Holdren said it was just one of those nights for his ace.   

"He'll bounce back," Holdren promised. "I guarantee you, he'll be the normal Zack next time out."    

The Rascals managed just one hit against WildThings righty Justin Edwards, who went seven innings to pick up his first win of the season. River City had two hits in 29 at-bats.    

Holdren doubled to lead off the ninth and was stranded at third to end the game. Jareck West broke up the no-hitter with a one-out single to left in the seventh.   

That was the extent of the River City offense.   

"It was one of those nights," said Brook. "It happens, but it doesn't happen too much here. In four years of coaching (here), I can only remember getting shut out at T.R. Hughes two or three times."    

Washington (18-24) scored a single run in the second and added two in the fifth before chasing Sterner in the sixth. Eric Stephens' run-scoring single brought in Ernie Banks with the first run of the game. Sterner walked Banks to start the frame.    

Two hits and a walk allowed the WildThings to push the lead to 3-0 in the fifth. Stephens greeted Sterner with a leadoff homer in the sixth to make it 4-0. Blake Ochoa coaxed a walk to signal the end of the night for Sterner.

Washington third baseman Ryan Ditthardt ripped a two-run homer off River City reliever Jason Pankau to put the game away.    

The Rascals put a runner in scoring position in the first. Joash Brodin drew a two-out walk and promptly stole second. But Chad Maddox grounded out to end the threat.    

River City was 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.    

"One of those games that we're just going to forget as soon as possible," said Holdren. "We will bounce back."         

NOTES FROM THE DAWG POUND:      

  • The Rascals had totaled 105 runs in their previous 16 games heading into Tuesday's contest.      
  • River City will play host to Washington in the second game of a three-game set on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. Zach Robertson (4-0), from the University of Iowa, will face WildThings righty Gary Lee (1-0, 2.65).      
  •  Chris McClendon (3B), Holdren (OF) and Danny Sawyer (C) will start for the West Division in the Frontier League All-Star game next Wednesday at Lake Erie. Holdren is making his fourth all-star appearance.      
  • McClendon extended his on-base streak to 18 on Tuesday.     
  • River City shortstop Bobby Burk leads all Frontier League shortstops with seven home runs.      
  • Rascals second baseman Doug Sanders committed his first error of the season on Sunday.
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