Bolts blow ninth inning lead in loss06/02/2011 9:58 PM
 CRESTWOOD, IL – The thunderbolts lost a ninth-inning lead Thursday night, and after a 37-minute rain delay, fell to the Evansville Otters 8-5 at Standard Bank Stadium.
The game started well for Windy City when they scored a pair of first-inning runs on just one hit. After back-to-back one out walks, Mike Torres and Ryan Basham pulled off a double steal and scored on a Zach Aakhus sacrifice fly and Nick Kuroczko single, respectively.
The Otters came right back with four runs in the second off of Bolts starter Matt Costello. A hit batter and a walk started the trouble, but four straight singles, including RBI from Korby Mintken, Greg Burns and Joe Spiers gave Evansville the two run lead.
Windy City got one back in the third when Michael Anton, who gave eight free passes in 3.1 innings, walked three, including Chase Porch with the bases loaded.
The next inning, Ryan Basham singled home Brandon Anderson to tie the game at four. The Bolts had plenty of baserunners in the early innings, but stranded seven in the first four.
Finally the ThunderBolts reclaimed the lead on a wild play in the sixth. Anderson doubled to center field. On Burns’ throw back to the infield, the ball soared into the ThunderBolts’ dugout and Anderson was awarded two extra bases and the go-ahead run.
Thanks to six great innings by the Bolts’ relief corps, they carried that 5-4 lead into the ninth. But Bradley Blanks, on for his third save, could not hold the lead. After a walk and a hit batter, Mintken singled in the tying run. The next batter, Burns, doubled home two more to give the Otters a 7-5 advantage. Burns later scored on a Chase Porch throwing error.
As Torres stood in to bat beginning the bottom of the ninth, rain started to fall, and time was called. The Bolts and Otters sat through a 37-minute rain delay before play was resumed. Windy City could not mount a rally and the final score was set at 8-5.
Patrick Crider threw 1.2 perfect innings for the win (1-0) and Blanks took the loss (0-1). Eric Massingham earned his first save.
The Windy City baseballers will continue their homestand tomorrow as the Florence Freedom come to town for the only time in 2011. Budweiser Fill ‘R Up Friday means $1.00 domestic draft beers. The pitching matchup will feature Windy City’s Todd Privett (2-0) against Florence’s Tim Holmes (1-0). The action will be broadcast on SportsJuice.com with pregame beginning at 6:45 CDT. |
Browse by Month »
August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 |
