Coco Johnson
CRESTWOOD, IL – Coco Johnson hit a pair of home runs and the ThunderBolts posted season highs in hits (17) and runs in a 13-2 win over the first-place Rockford Aviators at Standard Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Aviators (15-6) scored first on a Brian Bistagne solo homer in the first inning, but the ThunderBolts (7-13) were quick to answer. Austin Gallagher singled home Mike Torres in the bottom of the inning to tie the score.
Rockford once again claimed the lead the following frame as Devon Rodriguez doubled and Anthony Renteria scored him on a groundout.
The Bolts took the lead in the bottom of the inning, though, and did not relinquish it. Max White doubled and Tyler Clark tripled, tying the game. Johnson followed with his second homer of the year to make it 4-2.
Windy City struck again in the fifth inning. Gallagher singled and Jacob Tanis doubled him home. Tanis would score on Max White’s triple.
The Bolts put up three runs in each of the next two innings. They put two on with no outs in the sixth before Torres singled in Clark and Johnson scored on a Jonathan Garcia sacrifice fly. Gallagher’s double plated Torres and made it 9-2.
In the seventh, White and Ransom LaLonde singled in front of Johnson, who launched his second home run of the game. Johnson would cap the scoring the following inning with an RBI groundout, giving him six RBIs for the game, tying his career-high.
Travis Tingle (1-4) allowed two runs in seven innings in his first win and Nick Grim (0-2) lasted only 1.2 innings for the loss.
The ThunderBolts will take two days off before returning to action on Wednesday, when they host the Schaumburg Boomers in a two-game series. Jake Fisher (1-2, 3.91) gets the start for the Bolts against Schaumburg’s Edwin Carl (0-2, 5.08). C.J. Wilson Mazda will sponsor a postgame fireworks show for Palos Baseball Organization Night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 and the broadcast can be heard at wcthunderbolts.com.
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