ThunderBolts come up just short in slugfest
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FLORENCE, KY – The ThunderBolts scored 12 runs on 17 hits but fell in a back-and-forth affair to the Florence Y’alls 13-12 at Thomas More Stadium Wednesday night.
Daryl Ruiz’s RBI single in the top of the first inning gave the ThunderBolts (11-12) a quick 1-0 lead, but Florence (13-10) responded with five runs in the bottom of the first. All five were unearned after an error kept the inning alive, but the Y’alls followed the error with four hits, including a three-run double for Garrett Broussard.
The ThunderBolts weren’t deterred and pushed four more runs on the board in the second. Michael Sandle hit a two-run single and scored on a Pena base hit. Ruiz’s second RBI single in as many innings tied the score.
The Bolts added five more in the fourth. The rally started with a Sandle home run. Victor Cerny and Robbie Ayers had RBI singles and Sandle made it a four-run lead when he drew a bases loaded walk.
Florence turned the game around in the bottom half of the frame. Down 10-7 after an RBI groundout, they loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter. Brett Blomquist came up next with a go-ahead grand slam.
Behind by two, the Bolts continued to fight. They got a run on a Cerny RBI single in the seventh but Florence added a run in the bottom of the inning, extending the lead back to two.
In the ninth, Pena walked and Ruiz singled to put the tying run on base. Donte Grant came up with an RBI single to make it a one-run game before Florence’s Aidan McEvoy got the final out, leaving the tying run at third base and securing his seventh save.
Chase Hopewell (1-1) pitched 1.1 scoreless innings for the win and Kevin Figueredo (2-3) allowed 11 runs (six earned) over 3.2 innings for the loss.
Game three of the series is scheduled for Thursday evening at Thomas More Stadium. Dante Maietta (0-0, 0.82) gets the start for the Bolts and Florence counters with Liam Alpern (1-0, 5.74). First pitch is set for 5:54 CDT and broadcast information can be found at wcthunderbolts.com.
