SAUGET, IL – The ThunderBolts scored two runs in the top of the first inning and never trailed on their way to an 8-1 win over the Gateway Grizzlies at Arsenal BG Ballpark Saturday night.
James Dunlap led off the game with a single and the Bolts (33-50) went on to load the bases with one out. They scored their first run on a wild pitch and their second on a Grant Thoroman groundout.
Gateway (48-34) had the opportunity to respond when they loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning. Dante Maietta got Mark Shallenberger to ground into a double play to get out of the jam.
The Bolts pulled away in the third as Dunlap doubled and Michael Sandle followed with a two-run homer. Carlos Pena was then hit by a pitch and he eventually scored on a Thoroman single to put the Bolts ahead 5-0.
Gateway loaded the bases in the fourth but Maietta again pitched out of trouble and wasn’t threatened again as he threw six shutout innings.
Dunlap reached base again to start the seventh inning for Windy City and came around to score when Pena reached on an error. Daryl Ruiz, who reached base four times overall, singled home Pena to increase the lead to 7-0.
The Bolts got one more in the eighth on a Sandle RBI groundout to make it 8-0 before Gateway got their only run on a Victor Castillo sacrifice fly.
Maietta improved to 4-2 with the win and Lukas Veinbergs (5-5) took the loss, allowing seven runs (five earned) over 6.1 innings.
The series finale at Arsenal BG Ballpark is scheduled for Sunday night. Bryce Hellgeth (0-4, 5.57) starts for Windy City against Gateway’s Jake Burcham (0-0, 9.00). First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 CDT and the broadcast details can be found at wcthunderbolts.com.
