FL Joliet Slammers

Lis Leads Slammers Past Miners in Dramatic Style

Published on July 5, 2011 under Frontier League (FL)
Joliet Slammers News Release


(Joliet, IL) - David Fox hit two home runs and Erik Lis provided the winning hits as the Joliet Slammers (23-19) came from four runs back to beat the Southern Illinois Miners (28-14) by a final score of 7-5 Tuesday night.

The Slammers actually look the early lead in the game when Fox took Miners starter David Harden deep with a solo shot to right field in the second inning.

But the Miners came roaring back against Billy Petrick (3-6) in the third. With two outs and nobody on, Boomer Blanchard drew a walk. He'd steal second and Eric Suttle walked as well. That's when Josh Womack singled in Blanchard to tie the game. The Miners took the lead on a passed ball as Trey Manz couldn't handle a Petrick pitch.

They'd get some insurance the very next inning. Sean Coughlin hit a solo home run to right to make the score 3-1. Then Petrick walked the next batter and gave up a single, putting runners at first and third with nobody out. A Will Block sacrifice fly made it 4-1 Miners. Tyler Bullock singled and with two away Suttle singled in another run. Luckily for the Slammers they got Bullock in a rundown and tagged him out to end the frame.

But the damage was done as Joliet found themselves staring at a 5-1 deficit.

Not to worry, the comeback kids did it again as it all started in the bottom of the fourth. Lis singled to start the inning and Fox proceeded to crush his second home run of the night, cutting the Miners' lead to 5-3.

In the fifth inning the Slammers played some more long ball as All-Star Bobby Leeper destroyed a baseball (figuratively) for his fourth home run of the season. They weren't done as Manz followed with a double. He would advance to third on a wild pitch and Lis singled him home with two outs to tie the game at five.

Meanwhile, Petrick settled down brilliantly, at one point retiring eight in a row as he went seven innings, giving up six hits, five runs, four earned, walking three and striking out four.

His offense rewarded him for his perseverance in the bottom half of the seventh. Against new pitcher Ricky McGraw (0-1), Leeper drew a one-out walk. Manz followed with a terrific nine-pitch at bat to draw a walk of his own. One out later a passed ball moved both runners up 90 feet. That's when Lis delivered his second two-out clutch hit of the game as he singled to right to drive in both runners and put the Slammers up 7-5.

The score would stay that way as Brian Smith tossed a perfect eighth and Ryan Quigley worked around an error to nail down his league-leading 13th save of the season in the ninth.

With the victory, the Slammers are only =C21/2 game back of the Windy City ThunderBolts for first place in the East Division.

Joliet will look to clinch the series Wednesday night as they'll send Brian Fowler (2-1, 1.37 ERA) to the mound. It's a "Win It" Wednesday so if the Slammers win, everyone in attendance wins a free ticket to the next Wednesday home game. The Slammers will also be giving away a fun notepad featuring Spikes and J.L. Bird. It's a Book Buddies Reading Club Night so use those vouchers! First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. Central Time.

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Frontier League Stories from July 5, 2011


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