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CRESTWOOD, IL – Blair Beck’s two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning proved to be the game-winner as the ThunderBolts came from behind twice to win a back-and-forth ballgame with the Lake Erie Crushers, 11-8 at Ozinga Field Sunday afternoon.
 
The Crushers (9-6) jumped on the board first when a double error in the top of the second allowed two runs to score.
 
The ThunderBolts (8-8) quickly responded, as Blair Beck walked and stole second in the bottom of the third before Trey Fulton singled him home. A walk and a hit by pitch loaded the bases with two outs for Dash Winningham, who homered for the fourth time in five games. The grand slam gave the Bolts a 5-2 edge.
 
They held that until the top of the sixth, when Emmanuel Marrero hit a leadoff home run for the Crushers. They proceeded to load the bases on two singles and an error before Kenny Mathews hit Jake Vieth to force in a run. The next batter up, Karl Ellison, hit his first career home run, a grand slam that put the Crushers up 8-5. Prior to the six-run inning, Mathews had gone 19 straight innings without allowing an earned run.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, the Bolts loaded the bases on a single and two walks and General McArthur came through with his first professional hit, a three-run double that tied the score.
 
In the eighth, Winningham and Randy Perez singled to set up Beck’s game-winning hit. Beck later crossed the plate on an error to make the final score 11-8.
 
Joel Toribio (1-0) pitched two perfect innings for the win. Ivan Vieitez (1-1) allowed five runs in just over an inning for the loss and Dylan Prohoroff pitched a scoreless ninth for his fourth save.
 
The ThunderBolts take Memorial Day off before opening a two-game series in Joliet on Tuesday night. Christian Morris (1-1, 6.07) starts Tuesday’s opener with first pitch from DuPage Medical Group Field scheduled for 7:05. The radio broadcast can be heard on WXAV, 88.3 FM and wxav.com.

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