Bolts 14 Slammers 5
JOLIET, IL –The ThunderBolts scored five runs in the first inning and never slowed down on their way to a 14-5 win over the Joliet Slammers at Silver Cross Field Sunday night.
Coco Johnson doubled the first pitch of the game to center field and scored on a Mike Torres single to give the ThunderBolts (23-36) a 1-0 lead. Austin Gallagher followed with a base hit and Jacob Tanis was hit by a pitch and Ransom LaLonde came up with the bases loaded. He launched the first pitch over the left field wall for a 5-0 lead.
The Slammers (24-36) got one in the bottom of the first, but the Bolts extended their lead with three runs in the third. Cody Keefer and Johnson picked up RBI singles and LaLonde hit a sacrifice fly, his fifth RBI of the game.
A Nate Roberts solo home run made it 8-2 but again the ThunderBolts responded with three more in the fourth. Gallagher walked and Max White singled before Alex Chittenden’s double brought in a run. Keefer knocked in two more on a single.
Phil Bates hit a solo home run for Joliet and Keefer’s solo homer for the Bolts made it 12-3, where the score remained until the eighth.
The Slammers loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth inning and got two runs on a Hunter Ridge single. Windy City added two again in the ninth on a Gallagher RBI single and a White RBI fielder’s choice.
Keefer finished with three hits and four RBIs for the ThunderBolts and Torres reached base five times. Every starter reached base at least once.
Zak Wasserman (2-3) pitched five innings, allowing three runs for the win and Adam Panayotovich (0-2) was knocked out in the third inning, taking the loss.
After taking Monday off, the ThunderBolts continue their six-game road trip on Tuesday with their first trip this season to Rockford. In game one against the Aviators, Danny Jimenez (2-6, 4.11) will start for Windy City. First pitch from Aviators Stadium on Tuesday is scheduled for 6:35 with the broadcast available through wcthunderbolts.com.
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