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FL Joliet Slammers

ThunderBolts Edge Slammers in Series Finale

June 7, 2012 - Frontier League (FL)
Joliet Slammers News Release


(Crestwood, IL) - The Windy City ThunderBolts (11-5) scored once in the first and twice in the second to the early lead and they held on after that to defeat the Joliet Slammers (10-8) by a final score of 5-3 Thursday night.

Slammers starter Jeremy Tietze (0-2) took the loss as he went five innings, scattering seven hits and giving up four runs. He walked two and struck out two. In the first inning Chris Wade started things off with a single to left. He stole second and advanced to third when Ben Hewett's throw went into center. Wade scored on a Mike Torres RBI grounder.

Windy City took advantage of some Tietze wildness in the second. Billy Nowlin was hit by a pitch and one out later Jareck West drew a walk. Travis Weaver doubled in Nowlin and a Wade RBI grounder brought home West to make the score 3-0.

But the Slammers cut the lead to 3-2 in the fourth when Zach Mandelblatt smacked his team-leading fourth home run of the season with David Fox on base.

That would be as close as the Slammers got though as Windy City starter Stephen Sauer was excellent. He went eight innings and struck out 10 Slammers hitters while scattering six hits and only walking two.

Joliet nearly tied the game in the fifth. With Ben Hewett at first and two outs, Abel Nieves smacked a drive to right-center field. A great running catch by West robbed him of what would have been a game-tying hit.

The ThunderBolts got some insurance in the sixth. Nowlin singled to start the frame and Bryan Burke drew a walk. That was it for Tietze as the Slammers brought in Jim Schult. Schult walked West to load the bases but responded by striking out Weaver. Then Chris Wade hit a slow grounder to Pellot. Pellot got the lead man at second but Wade beat the relay to first for the RBI fielder's choice to make the score 4-2.

Another insurance run crossed the plate for Windy City in the seven when Brandon Decker took Geoff Brown deep for his first home run of the season.

The Slammers pushed their final run across in the eighth thanks to a RBI single from Erik Lis.

Tyson Corley picked up his seventh save for the ThunderBolts with a little help from West. West made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch to take away an extra base hit from Mandelblatt to start the frame and after that it was easy for Corley.

With the loss the Slammers fall to fourth place in the West. However they are only three games back of first place River City.

The Slammers head to London, Ontario to take on the Rippers starting Friday night. First pitch is at 6:00 p.m. central time. The entirety of the game can be heard on www.ustream.tv/jolietslammers and it will be joined in-progress by AM 1340 WJOL and www.wjol.com . Hinsdale Central High School alum Eric Binder gets the start for the Slammers.

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Frontier League Stories from June 7, 2012


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