Mud Monsters Take Sunday Rubber Match as ThunderBolts Offense Remains Quiet

Published on July 12, 2026 under Frontier League (FL)
Windy City ThunderBolts News Release

CRESTWOOD, Ill. - For a second consecutive game, the Windy City ThunderBolts offense was held to just two runs as the Bolts fell 4-2 to the Mississippi Mud Monsters in Sunday's rubber match.

For the third time in the series, Mississippi (25-32) got the scoring started. The Mud Monsters scored an unearned run off Windy City (28-27) starter Dante Maietta in the top of the first before the Bolts responded in the home half of the inning.

After Michael Sandle and Liam McArthur drew back-to-back walks to begin the bottom of the first, Jared Beebe lined an RBI double just inside the left field line to score Sandle.

Then, after Justin Fogel drew the third walk of the first inning for the Bolts, Victory Cerny grounded into a double play which brought in McArthur from third base to make it 2-1.

From that point on, both starting pitchers settled into the game. Maietta kept the Mud Monsters off the scoreboard for the rest of his six innings of work before the Bolts turned the game over to the bullpen for the top of the seventh.

There, Mississippi plated three runs on four hits and a walk to retake the lead at 4-2.

After Mud Monster starter Jackson Smith pitched a scoreless seventh inning, Mississippi got two scoreless innings of relief from its bullpen to close out the victory.

Smith (3-2) earned the win for the Mud Monsters, finishing off seven complete innings while allowing just those two first-inning runs on six hits. ThunderBolts reliever Justin Lovell (3-3), was tagged with the loss, allowing three runs on four hits in the seventh. Connor Langrell picked up his second save of the season, sitting the Bolts down in order in the ninth.

The Bolts return to action after the All-Star break Friday for the first of three games on the road against the Evansville Otters. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 CDT and broadcast information is available at wcthunderbolts.com.

Frontier League Stories from July 12, 2026

• Otters Drop Doubleheader, Enter All-Star Break at 33-22 - Evansville Otters
• Bird Dawgs Fall 6-5 in Series Finale, Head into All-Star Break at 26-31 - Down East Bird Dawgs
• Wild Things Close League's First Half with 38th Win in Game 57 - Washington Wild Things
• Brothers Strikes out 10+ for Second Start in a Row, Miners Back to .500 - Sussex County Miners
• Crushers Stifled in First Half Finale, Find Themselves Just 3.5 Games Back of Playoff Spot at All-Star Break - Lake Erie Crushers
• Lee's Late Homer Shocks Schaumburg - Gateway Grizzlies
• Mud Monsters Take Sunday Rubber Match as ThunderBolts Offense Remains Quiet - Windy City ThunderBolts
• Titans Drop Back-And-Forth Affair to End First Half - Ottawa Titans
• Webster Dominates Joliet - Florence Y'alls
• Late Runs Spoil Salata's Gem - Schaumburg Boomers
• Smith Settles into Quality Outing as Mud Monsters Take Series against ThunderBolts - Mississippi Mud Monsters
• ValleyCats Take Slugfest in First Half Finale - Tri-City ValleyCats
• Miners Versus Evansville Postponed Last Night. Doubleheader Today - Sussex County Miners
• Mud Monsters Activate Outfielder Karell Paz - Mississippi Mud Monsters

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