Grizzlies 4 Bolts 3
CRESTWOOD, IL – Blake Brown’s solo home run in the top of the tenth inning sent the Gateway Grizzlies to a 4-3 win over the ThunderBolts at Standard Bank Stadium Thursday night.
After pitching dominated the early part of the game, the Bolts (29-39) broke through first, getting a run in the fourth inning on back-to-back doubles for Max White and Cody Keefer.
The lead was short-lived as the Grizzlies (25-43) tied it up in their next at bat. Brown hit a leadoff single before stealing second and moving to third on an error. Grant Buckner’s bloop single scored him.
Windy City reclaimed the lead in the fifth. Larry Balkwill and Mike Torres singled, putting runners at the corners. Austin Gallagher’s double scored Balkwill to make it 2-1. The ThunderBolts loaded the bases but Gateway starter Dillon Haviland got out of the jam with a line out.
In the seventh, Brown and Buckner led off with singles for the Grizzlies. With one out, Garrett Vail hit a double to score two runs and give his team their first lead.
The Bolts tied the score in the bottom of the inning when they loaded the bases with one out and Keefer hit into a fielder’s choice to score the run.
It remained 3-3 into the tenth when Brown hit his homer with two outs in the inning.
Tyler Thompson (3-5) threw two perfect innings of relief for the win and Chris DeBoo (3-3) allowed the homer for the loss.
Despite the defeat, the ThunderBolts won their fourth straight series.
The River City Rascals will play host to the Bolts over the weekend as the two teams start a three-game series on Friday. Zak Wasserman (3-3, 4.71) takes the hill for Windy City against River City’s Dane Stone (5-3, 3.68). First pitch from T.R. Hughes Ballpark is scheduled for 6:35 and the broadcast can be heard on WXAV 88.3 FM and wxav.com.
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