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JOLIET, IL – Tyler Thornton pitched seven strong innings and Brynn Martinez drove in all three runs for the ThunderBolts in a 3-1 victory over the Joliet Slammers at DuPage Medical Group Field Friday night.
 
Martinez got the Bolts (22-26) on the board just two batters into the game when he hit a fly ball to left-centerfield that was misplayed into an inside-the-park home run.
 
Joliet (18-31) evened the score with a run in the third. Jimmy Roche picked up his first pro hit, a leadoff single and London Lindley knocked him in with a single.
 
Pitching dominated after that as Thornton retired eight of the next nine batters and Joliet’s Keegan Long set down 22 of 24 following Martinez’s homer. Thornton pitched out of a jam in the sixth when the Slammers stranded runners at second and third and struck out the side in the seventh after a leadoff single.
 
With two outs in the eighth inning, Tyler Straub and Justin Smith reached on back-to-back infield singles before Martinez smashed a double into rightfield to break the tie, scoring both runners.
 
Connor Mayes and Colby Blueberg were both sharp out of the bullpen for the ThunderBolts, tossing two scoreless innings to wrap up the win.
 
Thornton (4-1) allowed one run on four hits with eight strikeouts as he picked up the win. Long (2-6) went eight innings, allowing all three runs in the tough-luck loss. Blueberg’s perfect ninth inning gave him his third save of the year.
 
The ThunderBolts have a chance to clinch a series victory on Saturday night as they send Chris Washington (1-4, 3.19) to the mound. He’ll be opposed by Darren Osby (1-3, 2.42). First pitch from DuPage Medical Group Field is at 6:05 and the radio broadcast is on WXAV, 88.3 FM and wxav.com.

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