FL Joliet Slammers

Slammers Spoil Gateway's Home Opener

May 18, 2012 - Frontier League (FL)
Joliet Slammers News Release


(Sauget, IL) - Zach Mandelblatt hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and the Joliet Slammers (1-1) knocked off the Gateway Grizzlies (0-1) by a final score of 7-1 Friday night.

The Slammers wasted no time getting to Gateway starter Cale Johnson (0-1). With one out in the first, Abel Nieves singled sharply up the middle. Hector Pellot followed with a seeing-eye single through the left side and Erik Lis drew a walk.

That brought Mandelblatt to the plate and the left-handed hitting slugger unloaded on a pitch for a grand slam home run.

The Slammers would increase the 4-0 lead to 6-0 in the second. Ben Hewett got things started with a double down the left field line. Brad Netzel followed with a double of his own down the right field line to drive in Hewett. Later in the inning Netzel scored from third on a Johnson wild pitch.

Joliet starter Tommy Mendoza (1-0) was excellent, going five innings and allowing only one run. That one run came in the third on a Case Rigby solo home run.

Mandelblatt and the Slammers responded in the fifth when the slugger stepped to the plate and smacked his second home run of the night to give Joliet a 7-1 lead.

The bullpen took things from there as Chase Doremus, Geoff Brown (both making their professional debuts), Daniel Carela and Amalio Diaz shut down the Grizzlies with scoreless innings of work down the stretch.

With the win the Slammers even their record on the season at 1-1. They'll look to clinch the series against Gateway Saturday night as they send rookie RHP Steven Maxwell from TCU to the mound. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. central time and all the action can be heard on AM 1340 WJOL and online at www.wjol.com.

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Frontier League Stories from May 18, 2012


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