CRESTWOOD, IL – The River City Rascals scored three runs in the third inning, leading to a 6-4 win over the ThunderBolts at Standard Bank Stadium Friday night.
The Bolts scored in the first when Bob Glover led off with a double. He made it to third on a sacrifice bunt and crossed the plate on a Charlie Lisk error.
River City was able to tie the score the following inning. Matt Serna grounded into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded to score Josh Workman and make the score 1-1. The Rascals took the lead in the third when, after two singles put Curran Redal at third, and errant pickoff throw let him score. Lisk followed with a two-run homer to give River City a 4-1 lead.
The ThunderBolts chipped away, scoring a run on a Chris Wade sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth, but River City answered with two more in the seventh to go ahead by four.
Brandon Decker led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run, his 11th of the year to make it 6-3.
In the ninth, trailing by three, the Bolts’ first two hitters reached and C.J. Gillman singled home Wade with one out. With two outs, Windy City had runners at the corners, but Brandon Cunniff struck out T.J. McManus to end the game.
Nick Kennedy (4-1) worked eight strong innings in earning the win for River City and Tyson Corley (0-5) gave up five runs in six-plus innings in the loss. Cunniff registered his first save.
The ThunderBolts-Rascals series will continue at Standard Bank Stadium Saturday night. Mike Recchia (5-2, 3.19) will start for the ThunderBolts against River City’s Preston Vancil (2-4, 3.98). Fireworks will light up the Crestwood sky after the game, courtesy of Georgio’s Comfort Inn & Banquets. The game begins at 6:05 p.m. CDT and the broadcast can be heard on sportsjuice.com.
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