Belters 9 Bolts 2
NORMAL, IL – The Normal CornBelters scored five runs in the first inning, highlighted by a three-run Richard Lucas home run as they dealt the ThunderBolts their fourth straight loss, 9-2 at The Corn Crib Tuesday night.
The CornBelters first inning began with three consecutive singles to load the bases. After Eli Anderson struck out Sam Judah for the first out, Aaron Dudley singled home the first run. Pat McKenna brought home another on a groundout. With two on and two out, Lucas hit a three-run homer, his fourth of the year.
The CornBelters added another run in the second on two more hits. Jhiomar Veras doubled and Santiago Chirino singled him in to make the score 6-0.
Anderson would settle down after that and not allow another run until the eighth inning.
The ThunderBolts hit the scoreboard for the first time in the fourth when Evan Button hit his second home run of the season, making it 6-1. They got their next run two innings later when Mike Torres walked, stole second and scored on a two-out Ryan Soares single.
The CornBelters would put the game away in the bottom of the eighth. Lucas hit his second homer of the game to chase Anderson and the CornBelters hit Jessie Snodgrass for two runs on three hits. With the bases loaded and two outs, the big blow became a Mike Schwartz two-run double that made the final score 9-2.
Bobby Shore (2-1) allowed only two runs on four hits in his seven innings to pick up the victory and Anderson (0-4) went a career-high 7.1 innings allowing seven runs for the loss.
Game two of the ThunderBolts-CornBelters series will be played at The Corn Crib on Wednesday night at 7:00. Travis Tingle (3-1, 2.48) will get the start for the ThunderBolts against Normal’s Drew Provence (2-4, 6.57). The game broadcast can be heard through meridix.com.
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