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Run Walk-Off Home Run in 10th, Gives Bombers 7-5 Victory

July 22, 2011 - Prospect League (Prospect)
Dubois County Bombers News Release


Dubois County avenged a wild loss Wednesday night with an epic 7-5 victory over the Nashville Outlaws late Thursday. The Bombers trailed late on a couple of occasions, but fought back both times to tie the game and send it into extra innings. In the 10th inning, catcher Ryan Chesler (Millersville Univ.) crushed a two-run walk-off home run onto the old-time scoreboard in left field to give the Bombers an awesome victory. For the fans who did stay the whole game and grinded it out through the heat, it paid off as they saw arguably the most dramatic game of the season.

Ryan Rizzi (South Suburban College) started on the hill for Dubois County and took a no-hitter into the fourth inning. However, in the fourth inning Nashville got to him, and by the middle of the fifth the Outlaws had four runs credited to Rizzi. Rizzi was pulled with one out in the fifth in favor of lefty Jeremy Juliot and did not receive a decision.

The Bombers got their first two runs of the ballgame in the fourth inning, when with runners on second and third, an errant pick-off throw by Nashville catcher Doug Joyce sailed into left field scoring both runners.

Going into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Bombers trailed 4-2. With two outs, Jamie Skagerlind (Bryant Univ.) started a rally by reaching base on a walk. After a passed ball advanced him to second base, second baseman Nick Stoia (Franklin College) drove a pitch to left field that bounced off the base of the wall for a double. Skagerlind would score on the play, cutting the deficit to one. Later in the inning, All-Star center fielder Danny Poma (Hofstra) came through with a clutch single up the middle to tie the ballgame at four with just one inning to play.

The air seemed to go out of the balloon for the Bombers in the top of the ninth when Nashville's Bruce Maxwell stroked a Ryan Billo pitch over the right-center field wall to give Nashville the advantage once again. However, reliever Jake Rifkin (Marist College) came in and made sure that was all the Outlaws got.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Bombers scrambled to tie the game. T.J. Thomas led off by getting hit by a pitch, then advanced to second base on a passed ball. After Nashville swapped pitchers, an error by Nashville's third baseman put moved Thomas to third allowed Aric Marquardt to reach first. With one out, Dubois County's Jamie Skagerlind did what he needed to do, grounding a pitch to the second baseman's left, giving Thomas just enough time to score the tying run. Another groundout would end the inning, and this one was headed to extra innings.

Rifkin was unscathed again in the top of the tenth inning, setting up the offense for late dramatics. Shortstop Grant Zawadzki led off the inning and was handed a base on balls. After Poma flew out, and Jordan Eich struck out, catcher Ryan Chesler stepped to the plate. He must've been looking for a first pitch fastball, because when he got it, he turned on it like he was late for an appointment. Fans heard the crack of the ball hitting the wood of the bat, and then hitting the wood of the old-time scoreboard in left field. With his walk-off homer, Chesler had his second hit of the night and the Bombers had a 7-5 victory.

The Bombers will hit the road for the next couple of days and return home for a double-header against the Springfield Sliders on Sunday, July 24th. The first game will begin at 5:15 pm, and the second will begin later, likely around 7:30 pm. It will be Public Service Appreciation Night at League Stadium, where all police officers, firefighters, and EMT's will receive free admission upon showing their identification. Family members of these honorees will receive $1.00 off the ticket price. Gates will open at 4:05 pm!

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