CRESTWOOD, IL – The ThunderBolts took the lead but could not overcome the Mississippi Mud Monsters' ninth-inning comeback to beat Windy City 11-7 at Ozinga Field Sunday afternoon.
The Mud Monsters (48-47) wasted no time getting on the board, scoring two runs in the first inning. The Bolts’ (36-59) starting pitcher Eric Turner’s day ended early after displaying discomfort while warming up for the second inning. Carsen Plumadore took the mound and pitched four scoreless innings.
The ThunderBolts cut the lead in half in the second inning. Josh Gibson just missed his second home run of the season, hitting a hard triple off the left field wall. He scored easily after an RBI double from Garrett Broussard.
The Bolts surged ahead for the lead in the sixth inning. Windy City scored three runs, two of them coming home thanks to a triple from Grant Thoroman. Thoroman was 3-4 on the day with three extra-base hits. Michael Sandle added a run with an RBI single in the seventh inning to make it a 5-3 game.
In the top of the ninth inning, the Mud Monsters completely reversed the tide of the game. Samil De La Rosa led off the inning with a solo shot to make it a one-run ball game. Mississippi loaded the bases, and an error at the plate allowed them to score three runs. Two singles brought in four more runs, extending the Mud Monsters’ lead to 11-5.
The Bolts did not go down without a fight. Daryl Ruiz and Carlos Peña each hit RBI doubles to score one run apiece, but Windy City fell four runs short in the season finale.
Gage Bihm (4-2) earned the win after 1.2 innings of relief. Trevin Reynolds (5-6) had a stellar 2025 season, but took the loss after a rocky seventh inning.
The ThunderBolts finished the year with a 36-60 record. They'll return to Frontier League play in May of 2026. All offseason updates can be found at wcthunderbolts.com
