wcthunderbolts.com: Game Recaps

ThunderBolts lose late lead and fall 7-6

07/19/2010 8:56 PM

For the second time in three nights, the ThunderBolts lost a three-run lead late in falling to the Washington Wild Things in game one at CONSOL Energy Park Monday night.

The Wild Things got on the board first against Richard Barrett, making his first Windy City appearance. After a walk and a hit batter, Eric Stephens’s one-out single plated Michael Parker for a 1-0 score.

It took Windy City a few innings to answer, but answer they did. Nick Kuroczko led off the top of the third with the first home run of his pro career to tie the game. Brandon Anderson and Ryan Basham contributed RBI hits later in the inning to give the Bolts a 3-1 lead.

Washington tied the game in the bottom of the fourth when Wilson Matos and Michael Parker each came up with RBI singles. The game was not tied for long, though. In the fifth, with Gilberto Mejia and Anderson on base, JT Restko hit his first triple of the year and gave his team a two-run advantage once again. It became 6-3 when Anderson drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth. That was the only run, however, that the Bolts scored in two bases loaded situations in the sixth and seventh.

The 6-3 lead felt comfortable in the bottom of the seventh, but after a Stephens single chased Greg Johnson from the game, Jayson Koehn entered and walked the only two batters he faced. Brandon Garner was called on for the bases-loaded one-out situation and struck out the first batter he faced. Following that, though, he hit Alan Robbins, Wilson Matos and Michael Parker to tie the game. Garner’s wild pitch scored Robbins and put Washington on top 7-6, where the game would finish.

Windy City had one more chance when Anderson tripled with one out in the eighth, but Kevin Hammons got Basham to ground out and Eryk McConnell struck out Restko. Ben Rodewald picked up the win (2-1), pitching a scoreless seventh. Brandon Garner was the loser (0-2) and McConnell earned his eleventh save.

The Bolts and Wild Things continue their series tomorrow night at 6:05. Sean Toler makes his Windy City debut against Justin Edwards (2-0), making his first start for Washington. The game can be heard on WXAV 88.3 fm.

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