FL Joliet Slammers

Slammers Squeak by Grizzlies

Published on August 9, 2011 under Frontier League (FL)
Joliet Slammers News Release


(Joliet, IL) - Nothing is ever easy for the first place Joliet Slammers but they survived another thriller at Silver Cross Field Tuesday night.

Every player in the lineup got a hit and the Slammers (42-30) held off a late rally by the Gateway Grizzlies (30-42) to win by a score of 7-6 in front of 3853 fans at the yard.

With the win the Slammers match their season high of 12 games over .500 and also match their biggest lead in the division as they are now 4.5 games up on the Traverse City Beach Bums in the East.

Leading by one in the eighth, two consecutive errors by the Slammers put Brian Smith in a big jam. But Smith kept his cool and got a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Landon Hernandez. The next batter popped out and Joliet was out of the jam.

The ninth inning was where it got really interesting. Quigley surrendered a double that was just beyond the reach of a diving Josh Flores in center. Then a bunt attempt resulted in a single when Quigley fell down trying to get the ball. With runners at the corners and nobody out, the one run lead looked like it was in big trouble. But the Joliet native got Kent Gerst to line a ball right to Hector Pellot. Pellot caught the ball and fired back to Maunus at first for the double play. Quigley proceeded to strike out DJ Fitzgerald to end the game and secure his league leading 21st save.

It was the team's 22nd comeback win as the Grizzlies scored two off starter Tommy Mendoza (5-1) in the first. Gerst doubled to left to start the frame and one out later scored on a Joe Agreste double. Then with two down Brandon Peters singled home Agreste and it was 2-0 Gateway.

With two outs and nobody on in the third, Joliet rallied. Hector Pellot drew a huge walk on a 3-2 pitch and Erik Lis followed with an opposite field double that scored Pellot and cut Gateway's lead to 2-1. Kyle Maunus blooped a single to right that drove home Lis and tied the game.

In the fourth, the Slammers really got to starter Sean Toler (0-3). Sean Estand got the ball rolling with a double and two outs later Flores drove a pitch out of the yard to right field for his eighth home run of the season. They weren't done though as Brad Netzel lay down a perfect bunt and an error on the play allowed him to advance to second. Pellot singled him home and all of a sudden it was 5-2 Slammers.

Gateway got one back in the fifth as Tyler Heil doubled and went to third on a sacrifice bunt. A RBI grounder from Gerst made it 5-3.

Reliever Nolan Shaffer struck out Maunus to start the bottom of the fifth but the ball got away and Maunus reached first safely. One out later Estand smacked his second double of the game to drive in Maunus as the Slammers increased their lead to three runs. With two down Trey Manz found a hole in the right side of the infield and singled in Estand to extend the Slammers' lead to 7-3.

Hernandez burned Mendoza with a three run home run in the sixth as the Slammers found themselves only up by one.

Mendoza finished the inning and his final line was six innings, seven hits, six runs, all earned, two walks, and five strike outs.

He'd pick up the win as Chuck Lukanen tossed a scoreless seventh and Smith and Quigley survived their respective dramas in the eighth and ninth.

The Slammers look to clinch the series Wednesday night as "Captain" Jake Renshaw (8-4, 3.16 ERA) takes the mound.

Wednesday is a big day in Slammers' history as the team is hosting their first concert at Silver Cross Field. After the game, the Chicago band Maggie Speaks will perform. A ticket to the game also gets you admission to the concert! It's also Joliet Chamber of Commerce Back to School Night and Plainfield Community Night. Plainfield businesses interested in promoting their business and enjoying a Slammers game should call Dan DeCaprio at (815) 722-2287. If the Slammers win Wednesday's game, all fans in attendance will get a free ticket to the Wednesday, August 24th game against the Lake Erie Crushers. If fans were at the last Wednesday home game on July 6, they can bring that ticket stub to the Box Office for their free ticket to this game. Wednesday is another Book Buddies Reading Club night, so fans should use those vouchers and all kids get to run the bases after the game. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. Central Time.

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Frontier League Stories from August 9, 2011


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