wcthunderbolts.com

BOX SCORE

CRESTWOOD, IL – In a mistake-filled game at Ozinga Field on Tuesday night, the Lake Erie Crushers outlasted the ThunderBolts 7-6. The ten-inning game lasted four hours and 41 minutes.

The Bolts (13-14) got the scoring going in the bottom of the first inning.  They got three base runners on a single and two walks. Back-to-back wild pitches scored the game’s first run.

As they did throughout the night, Lake Erie (12-16) responded quickly. In the second, a walk and a single presaged a double steal that brought in their first run. They tied it up the next inning. Austin White doubled and came home on a Kenen Irizarry single.

The ThunderBolts reclaimed the lead the next inning as Pierce Jones, playing his first game with the team, singled and eventually stole home on a dropped third strike. They added two more runs in the fourth as Jones drew a bases loaded walk and Dan Robinson hit a sacrifice fly.

Lake Erie tied the score at five, getting a sacrifice fly from Devon Fisher and an RBI double from Connor Owings.

It remained 5-5 into the eighth inning, when the Crushers loaded the bases on an error, a single and a walk. Brayden Bonner walked Irizarry to force in the go-ahead run.

In the bottom of the inning, Ean Walda walked four consecutive batters, including Jace Mercer and Peyton Isaacson with the bases loaded, putting the Bolts back ahead, 7-6 .

For the fourth time in the game, the ThunderBolts were unable to hold a lead as Owings hit a solo home run with two outs and two strikes in the top of the ninth.

Lake Erie scored their tiebreaker runner in the top of the tenth on an RBI groundout for White. That proved to be the game-winner as the Bolts left their 15th and 16th runners on base in the bottom of the frame.

The series continues on Palos Baseball Organization Night at Ozinga Field Wednesday night. Kenny Mathews (2-1, 3.58) starts for the Bolts against Lake Erie’s Matt Mulhearn. First pitch is slated for 6:05 CDT with fireworks scheduled after the game. The broadcast can be found at wcthunderbolts.com.