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O’FALLON, MO – In a doubleheader at Carshield Field Wednesday night, the ThunderBolts suffered back-to-back one-run losses, falling in extra innings in the opener before dropping game two by the identical score of 2-1.

Game one was a pitchers’ duel from the start as Sean Leland and Austin Dubsky matched one another zero for zero over the first six innings. Leland departed after five and Joel Toribio pitched a 1-2-3 sixth.

The ThunderBolts drew first blood when Straub singled to lead off the sixth and chase Dubsky from the game. He advanced to third base and, with two outs, Michael Mateja, in his ThunderBolts’ debut, singled him home to give the Bolts a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Braxton Martinez doubled and Andrew Penner tied the score with a sacrifice fly.

The game went into the tenth inning at 1-1 and James Morisano found his way to third base for River City, when Zach Lavy doubled off the wall to end the game.

Jason Zgardowski (2-1) pitched two shutout frames for the win and Connor Mayes (1-3) took the loss.

Kenny Mathews retired the first eight batters of game two but was the first pitcher to blink as he saw Kameron Esthay hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, putting the Rascals up 1-0.

Keenan Bartlett didn’t allow a hit through four innings before Tanner Gardner singled to lead off the fifth. He advanced on an error and tied the game when Jordan Swiss hit a two-out RBI single.

Zach Lavy responded with a solo homer in the bottom of the inning to put the Rascals up for good.

Gardner hit a leadoff double in the seventh but was stranded at third base.

Bartlett (1-1) pitched six innings for the win while Mathews (3-9) went the distance but took the loss.

The series wraps up with a single game on Thursday. Tyler Thornton (4-2, 2.90) gets the start for the ThunderBolts against River City’s Travis McQueen (3-1, 5.01). First pitch from Carshield Field is scheduled for 6:35 and the broadcast can be heard on WXAV, 88.3 FM and wxav.com.

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score