Frontier League

 

ThunderBolts outlast Titans in first sudden death game

BOX SCORE

CRESTWOOD, IL – For the first time in professional baseball history, the sudden death extra inning rule was put into effect as the Windy City ThunderBolts were credited with a 3-3 win over the Ottawa Titans at Ozinga Field Tuesday night.

Jace Mercer gave the ThunderBolts (3-2) all of their offense in the second inning when he hit a three-run homer to put his team on top 3-0. Although they outhit the Titans (2-2) 11-6, the Bolts were not able to plate any more runs as Ottawa crept back into the game.

Miguel Ausua was brilliant at the outset of his first start of the year. Through the first four innings, he struck out three and did not allow a hit.

The Titans chipped away with two runs in the fifth. An A.J. Wright RBI single tied the score in the eighth inning.

Under new Frontier League rules, if the game remains tied after ten innings, a sudden death inning will determine the winner. As the home team, the ThunderBolts got to choose to play offense or defense. They chose to take the field with Ottawa beginning the inning with a runner at first. If they scored, they’d win the game. If not, the ThunderBolts would be winners. No previous Frontier League game had gone past ten innings, so this was the first time the new rule was in play.

Layne Schnitz-Paxton took the drama quickly out of the outcome, getting the first batter of the inning to ground into a double play. The next man up grounded out to give the ThunderBolts the win. The official final score goes down as 3-3.

Schnitz-Paxton (1-0) pitched two innings and picked up his first win of the year. There is no credited losing pitcher.

The ThunderBolts continue their three-game series with Ottawa on Wednesday morning with School Day I at Ozinga Field. First pitch is scheduled for 10:35 with Tyler Thornton (1-0, 3.60) on the mound for Windy City. Former ThunderBolt Zac Westcott (1-0, 9.00) gets the start for the Titans. The game broadcast can be found at wcthunderbolts.com



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