FL Joliet Slammers

Ninth Inning Rally Not Enough for Slammers

September 5, 2015 - Frontier League (FL)
Joliet Slammers News Release


Joliet, IL- The Joliet Slammers (41-54) fell to the Rockford Aviators (49-46) on Saturday night despite another great game from Mike Garza and a ninth inning rally.

Rockford wasted no time in the top of the first against starter Spencer Medick. 3B Raul Linares doubled to lead off. CF Michael Hur singled to put runners at the corners with one out. DH Danny Stienstra hit a fly ball to center, allowing Linares to tag and score. 1-0 Rockford.

The Slammers answered right back in the bottom half. SS Alfredo Rodriguez reached via the hit by pitch. CF Carter Bell doubled which scored Rodriguez with a close play at the plate, Bell would move into third on the throw. 3B Mike Garza stayed hot with an RBI double and his seventh RBI in the past ten innings. 2-1 Slammers after one.

The Aviators scored again in the third. Raul Linares singled and used his speed to steal second. C Cameron Garfield did the rest with a double tying the game at two.

More offense from Rockford would come in the fourth. 1B Devon Rodriguez doubled with one out. 2B Brian Bistagne singled putting runners at the corners. An errant pickoff throw by Medick scored Rodriguez and pushed Bistagne to third. SS Justin Fox singled to drive in a run and chase Medick from the game for Pat Dyer who recorded the final out of the inning.

In the fifth, Alfredo Rodriguez was hit for the second time by David Diaz. He would steal second with Carter Bell up who hit a ball to center, Rodriguez tagged and moved to third on the play. Mike Garza came through again with an RBI double down the right field line to cut Rockford's lead to one. After 1B Marc Flores walked, C Joe Staley singled to score Garza, tying the game at four.

Pat Dyer would finish his three innings of relief with a walk to Cameron Garfield and a pop out to Michael Hur. Dan Tobik came in to face Danny Stienstra and gave up a single to left center placing runners on first and third. Devon Rodriguez did that same for an RBI and the lead. Dusty Robinson showed patience drawing a walk and loading the bases. Brian Bistagne added some insurance to the one run lead with a two RBI double giving the Aviators a 7-4 cushion. With Justin Fox up, a ball that got away from Joe Staley scored Robinson. Fox would later single to right center to score Bistagne, 9-4 Rockford.

With Roberto Padilla in his second inning of relief, Alfredo Rodriguez singled to center leading off the seventh. Carter Bell followed with a walk. Mike Garza grounded into a double play but Marc Flores followed with an RBI single to center that plated Rodriguez. 9-5 Rockford after seven innings of play.

The Slammers put together a rally in the ninth with two outs. Carter Bell and Marc Flores hit a pair of solo shots off of reliever Matt Frahm to make it 9-7. Joe Staley doubled. Hunter Ridge and Jeremy Nowak walked. Bases were loaded with the tying run at second when Mason Snyder popped out to third to end the game.

David Diaz got the win for Rockford (1-5). Dan Tobik received the loss (1-1). Our M & M Bank Player of the Game was Mike Garza for the second night in a row. He was 3-for-5 with two more runs driven in, giving him 58 on the year. The Slammers will finish the series and the season tomorrow at 5:05pm.

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Frontier League Stories from September 5, 2015


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