FL Joliet Slammers

Washington Rallies Late to Beat Slammers

Published on July 5, 2016 under Frontier League (FL)
Joliet Slammers News Release


JOLIET, IL- No lead was safe in Tuesday's series opener between the Slammers and the Washington Wild Things, but the Wild Things stuck around long enough and came out on top 8-7 Tuesday, July 5. The Joliet Slammers are presented by ATI Physical Therapy.

Washington got to the Slammers' usually solid starting pitcher Spencer Medick right away putting up four runs in the first two innings.

"It's just one of those nights," Slammers catcher Casey Fletcher said. "I feel like Medick had his stuff tonight, he was locating and his velocity was there. It's just one of those nights where they get a couple of dunks in there and hit a couple of balls hard, the next thing you know you've got four runs up on the board.

Chris Grayson made his debut for the Wild Things on Tuesday and had a great start to his Washington career. The Wild Things' left fielder brought in the Wild Things first run of the game on a single. David Popkins made it 3-0 with a big home run to left field.

"He gave up four in the first two innings but he battled," Fletcher said. "He threw up some zeroes and put us in a position to possibly win the ball game and that's all we can really ask for."

Joliet has been known to put up a lot of runs and string together many hits, so it was no surprise when the Slammers put together five straight hits in the fourth inning to get the game tied.

The recently named All-Star Marc Flores singled to open the inning, and Joe Staley followed him up with a single of his own, setting up Rock Shoulders to drive in Flores.

Jake Gronsky and Casey Fletcher added to the hit streak for the Slammers. Gronsky drove in Staley, and Fletcher brought in Shoulders and Gronsky on a single.

Fletcher was Tuesday's Merchants and Manufacturers player of the game. He went 2-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.

Joliet kept pouring it on in the fifth and the sixth, scoring three more times, making it seven unanswered runs, but the three-run lead did not last for long as Washington rallied in the seventh to get the game tied, and take the lead in the eighth.

"We've got a lot firepower on this team," Fletcher said. "Up and down this lineup there's guys that come and produce every single night."

Tyler Levine came in to replace Medick in the sixth, pitching a scoreless inning, but then struggled to find the strike zone in the seventh and it cost him and the Slammers the lead.

Levine walked Grayson and Popkins on eight straight pitches to open the seventh inning, and two batters later, Logan Uxa made Levine pay for his mistakes earlier in the inning and sent the ball over the right field wall to tie the game.

His struggles continued over to the eighth inning. Levine allowed two singles and recorded one out in the eighth before being replaced by the newest Slammer Mitch Osnowitz.

Osnowitz let a run score on a groundout to Carter Bell at second, but the run was charged to Levine.

The Slammers stay in first place despite the loss, but Washington gains a game on them in the standings and are now three games back. They'll be back at Silver Cross Field tomorrow at 10:05 a.m.

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Frontier League Stories from July 5, 2016


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