The ThunderBolts split a pitcher dominated doubleheader Thursday on a cold night at Standard Bank Stadium. They beat the Joliet Slammers 3-2 in game one before falling 2-0 in the second game.
Dustin Williams started game one for the Bolts, and even though he had poor control early, he recovered to pitch a good game. His offense gave him some support in the second inning when Zach Aakhus began a two-run rally with a walk. Garrett Regan tried to bunt him over and reached on an infield single. Chris Wade followed that up with a single and Nick Kuroczko put the finishing touches on the rally with a two-run single.
The Slammers answered with a run in the third, but the score remained 2-1 into the sixth.
Garrett Regan singled with one out in the sixth and eventually came around to score a big insurance run on an Andy Deain wild pitch.
Williams pitched into the seventh, but after allowing a leadoff single, gave way to Greg Johnson, who struggled. Johnson let the inherited runner score, then loaded the bases before getting Lee Rubin to end the game, 3-2.
Williams picked up the win (2-0) and Billy Petrick pitched 5-plus innings in the loss (1-1). Johnson earned his first save.
Game two was dominated by starters Kevin Crimmel of Joliet and Matt Jernstad of Windy City. Both pitchers were brilliant through three innings, but the Slammers struck in the fourth, when Hector Pellot singled, stole second and scored on an Erik Lis single.
Pellot proved to be the one Slammer Jernstad couldn’t figure out as he knocked out three hits against the Bolts’ lefthander. Pellot scored again in the sixth when he singled and scored on a Devin Shepherd base knock.
If Pellot was Jernstad’s kryptonite, Zach Aakhus was Crimmel’s. Aakhus reached base three times, picking up two of the Thunderbolts’ three hits, and reached six times total in the doubleheader with four walks. Aakhus, however, never moved beyond second base in game two as his team fell 2-0.
Crimmel, in fact, did not allow any ThunderBolt to hit third base. He went six innings, allowing three hits and four walks with five strikeouts in picking up the win (1-0). Jernstad struck out eight and allowed seven hits in the complete game loss (0-1). Former ThunderBolt Ryan Quigley struck out the side in the ninth for his second save.
Windy City hits the road for the first time Friday as they begin a three-game set with the Washington Wild Things at CONSOL Energy Park. First pitch for game one of the series is at 5:35 CDT. Matt Costello (0-1) will get the call for the Bolts. The action can be heard on SportsJuice.com.
