Game Recaps

Pitching dominates in ThunderBolts’ third straight win

SAUGET, IL – Tyler Thornton and Miguel Ausua combined to hold the Gateway Grizzlies to two hits as the ThunderBolts opened a five-game road trip with a 2-1 win at GCS Credit Union Ballpark Wednesday night.

Gateway (2-4) struck first with a run in the bottom of the second inning. Jose Rosario was hit by a pitch, advanced on an error and scored on a Justin Jones sacrifice fly. It was the first run allowed this year by reigning Frontier League Pitcher of the Week Tyler Thornton, but it was unearned.

In the first four Windy City games this season, the team that scored first went on to win, but Wednesday saw the first lead change of the year when the Bolts (4-2) struck for a pair of fifth-inning runs.

With two outs and nobody on, Brynn Martinez and Zac Taylor kept the inning alive with back-to-back singles. Dan Robinson followed with a two-run double that put the Bolts ahead for good.

From there, it was handled by the pitchers. Aside from two Chase Vallot doubles, Thornton did not allow a hit over six innings. Miguel Ausua came on next and faced the minimum over the final three.

The Grizzlies threatened in the seventh when Jones appeared to hit a one-out double to put the tying run in scoring position. On appeal, though, Jones was ruled out at first base after he had failed to touch the bag.

Ausua was not challenged the rest of the way as he got the final nine outs for his first professional save. Thornton (2-0) picked up his second straight win. Sebastian Kessay (0-1) took the loss despite pitching well. He allowed two runs over 5.2 innings.

The ThunderBolts will aim for the two-game sweep on Thursday night. Kenny Mathews (0-1, 0.00) gets the Windy City start against Gateway’s Jorge Tavarez (0-0, 4.50). First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 from Sauget.

Box Score



Search Archive »





Browse by Month »

September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008