FL Windy City ThunderBolts

Bolts sweep Wild Things

August 21, 2009 - Frontier League (FL)
Windy City ThunderBolts News Release


The Windy City ThunderBolts reclaimed sole possession of first place in the West Division thanks to a doubleheader sweep over the Washington Wild Things winning game on 6-4 and taking the nightcap 8-5.

Carrying a 2-0 lead into the third inning from a game that was suspended on Sunday, Windy City saw the lead go away thanks to a rough start and a bit of controversy where the Wild Things scored three runs in the third and fourth to take a 3-2 lead.

The Bolts wasted no time in getting it back as they loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth inning before Tyler Farrar hit a sac fly to score J. T. Restko to knot the game at 3-3. Dan Jordan came up and grounded a ball to third. The throw across the diamond sailed on Grant Psomas, allowing Kraig Binick to score for a 4-3 Bolts lead.

The two teams would trade runs in the sixth and Windy City would get a run in the eighth as with runners on first and second, Windy City set the runners in motion as Kraig Binick lined a ball off the glove of second baseman Michael Parker allowing Gilberto Mejia to score putting the ThunderBolts ahead 6-4. After that, Nick Hall pitched a scoreless ninth preserving the win for his seventh save of the year and making a winner out of Ricky Meinhold (3-1). Meinhold went 5.2 innings allowing one earned run, whiffing a career high tying six. Craig Snipp (2-4) took the loss for Washington.

In game two, Windy City jumped on the board in the second inning as Gil Zayas drilled a double into right-center field, scoring Vinnie Scarduzio who had walked. In the third inning, back-to-back doubles from Robert Perry and Pete Paris plated another run for a 2-0 Bolts lead. Paris would move to third on a wild pitch and come home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kraig Binick pushing the Windy City advantage to three.

Washington would get their first runs in the fourth on a sac fly from Grant Psomas, plating Chris Sidick who had tripled. The next batter, Jacob Dempsey clocked a homerun over the video board in right, slicing the Windy City edge to 3-2.

After a shutdown inning from Matt Jernstad in the fifth, the ThunderBolts got the runs back in the top of the sixth as Vinnie Scarduzio and Gil Zayas launched consecutive long homeruns to make it 5-2 WC. The insurance runs were necessary as in the bottom of the sixth, Washington tied it. With a run already in and runners on first and second, league RBI leader Jacob Dempsey grounded a ball that glanced off the glove of first baseman Bryan Cook on a diving attempt. The ball rolled down the rightfield line sending both runners home, knotting the game at 5-5.

In the top of the seventh, Windy City displayed the fight they have shown all season long as the Bolts got Perry on base with a walk. Using his legs, Perry stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by Alan Robbins. Paris came to the plate a lifted a sac fly to right, bringing home Perry for a one-run edge. Not content to stop there, Windy City for the second time in as many innings got back-to-back homers, this time from Restko and Bryan Cook to push the lead to 8-5.

Things weren't easy in the seventh as Washington put two on with one out, but Nick Hall was able to strike out both Grant Psomas and Jacob Dempsey to earn the win. Hall (4-1) recorded all four of his outs in game two on strikeouts. Nick Peterson (1-4) took the loss for the Wild Things.

Game three of the series comes up on Saturday with Ross Stout (10-4, 2.72) on the mound for the ThunderBolts against Jason Neitz (7-4, 5.49) for Washington. Windy City returns home on Tuesday beginning the final homestand of the regular season as the Bolts take on the Gateway Grizzlies. For game times, information or tickets, call 708-489-BALL or visit the team's website at www.wcthunderbolts.com

Check out the Windy City ThunderBolts Statistics



Frontier League Stories from August 21, 2009


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