ThunderBolts Fall Just Short of Sweep
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AVON, OH – The ThunderBolts fought back from a seven-run deficit but fell just short in their bid for a series sweep, falling to the Lake Erie Crushers 9-8 at ForeFront Field Sunday afternoon.
Lake Erie (22-29) took a multi-run lead in the second inning, when they scored three runs on four hits. Nick Chavez’s two-run single was the big blow in the inning.
It remained 3-0 until the bottom of the fifth. The Crushers loaded the bases on a walk, a single and a Hit by pitch. With two outs, Samuel Benjamin lined a grand slam inside the left field foul pole to put his team ahead 7-0.
In the sixth, the ThunderBolts (26-23) responded. Michael Sandle hit a leadoff single and still stood at first base with two outs when the floodgates opened. Carlos Pena hit an RBI double and Victor Cerny singled him in. After Daryl Ruiz walked, Robbie Ayers hit a three-run homer to make it 7-5.
Lake Erie further distanced themselves on a two-run Pavin Parks home run, but the Bolts continued to fight. Jared Beebe took the first pitch of the eighth inning over the wall to make it 9-6. Ruiz later hit an RBI single to cut the deficit to two.
With the bases loaded and no outs, the Crushers called on Brandyn Sittinger out of the bullpen. He got out of the eighth-inning jam, allowing only one run before he tossed a scoreless ninth inning for his seventh save.
Edwin Sanchez (4-2) was credited with the win. He went three innings and allowed five runs. Blaise Wilcenski (0-1) was tagged with his first loss.
The ThunderBolts return home on Tuesday to begin the final week of the first half. Dante Maietta (1-0, 5.18) gets the start on the mound for the Bolts in their opener against the Schaumburg Boomers. It’s $2 Tuesday at Ozinga field with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 CDT. Broadcast information can be found at wcthunderbolts.com.
