Frontier League

 

ThunderBolts' comeback falls short

Freedom 4 Bolts 3

CRESTWOOD, IL – The ThunderBolts overcame a 3-0 deficit but Austin Wobrock’s RBI single in the seventh inning delivered a 4-3 win to the Florence Freedom in game two of a four-game set at Ozinga Field Wednesday afternoon.

Just three batters into the game, the Freedom (39-24) took a 2-0 lead. Isaac Benard led off the game with an infield single and Wobrock walked. Both men advanced on a wild pitch and a Caleb Lopes infield hit brought home both runs, giving Florence a 2-0 lead without ever hitting the ball out of the infield.

Sean Leland and Daniel Williams dueled to a stand still over the next five innings as the score remained 2-0 until Florence added to their lead against the ThunderBolts’ bullpen in the sixth. Lopes doubled, moved to third on a bunt and scored on a Ricky Ramirez sacrifice fly.

The ThunderBolts (27-34) had been held to three hits over the first five innings but in the bottom of the sixth, Omar Obregon led off with a single. Brynn Martinez, who had already extended his hit streak to 20 games, singled in front of Chase Cockrell whose base hit scored Obregon. Tyler Alamo scored Martinez on a groundout and, with two outs, Taisei Fukuhara came through with the game-tying RBI single.

Florence wasted no time in reclaiming the lead. After a hit batter and a walk put two men on with no outs in the top of the seventh, Wobrock’s single made the score 4-3.

The Bolts threatened in the eighth, putting two men on base with one out, but could not break through with the tying run.

Chris Erwin (1-0) retired only one hitter but picked up the win. Joel Toribio (2-2) allowed two runs in 1.2 innings for the loss and Karl Craigie retired all five batters he faced for his third save. 

The ThunderBolts and Freedom wrap up their series with a split doubleheader on Thursday. Game one is a 10:35 start time for the third consecutive Splash Day, presented by Pirate’s Cay Indoor Water Park. Tyler Thornton (4-1, 2.48) makes the start for the Bolts against Florence’s Scott Sebald (4-1, 3.86). Outside Ozinga Field, the game can be heard on WXAV, 88.3 FM and wxav.com.

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