wcthunderbolts.com: Game Recaps

ThunderBolts lose lead, game in ninth

08/17/2010 8:35 PM

The ThunderBolts committed three errors in the ninth inning on Tuesday night and fell to the Evansville Otters 3-2 in a walk-off victory for Evansville at Bosse Field. The loss drops the ThunderBolts’ record in road series openers to 1-12.

Windy City took the lead early when Mike Mooney tripled to lead off the second inning. He came in to score on the next pitch when Michael Torres hit a sacrifice fly to right field. They added to the lead in the third inning on another sacrifice fly. Gilberto Mejia singled, stole second and took third base on a throwing error. Ryan Basham’s fly out to center knocked him in.

The Otters responded with their first run in the fourth. Jonathan Waltenbury knocked in Derek Wiley on a single, but was thrown out at second, ending the inning.

From there, it was a pitchers’ battle. Dustin Williams went seven innings for the Bolts, allowing just one run and striking out eight. Evansville’s Chad Edwards was almost as good. He lasted seven innings and struck out a career-high six, while allowing the two runs.

The ThunderBolts had opportunities to extend their lead, but they failed to score a runner from third base with less than two outs in both the eighth and ninth innings, so closer Nick Hall entered in the ninth inning with just the 2-1 lead. Hall did not retire a single batter in his fifth blown save of the season. Vinnie Scarduzio walked to lead off the inning. On an attempted sacrifice bunt, Nick Kuroczko threw to second but pulled Torres off the bag on his throw. Waltenbury then hit a grounder to second that looked like a double-play until Mejia bobbled the ball, then threw it away for a double error. That brought the tying run in. After an intentional walk to load the bases, Toby Davis singled to win the game, 3-2. Hall fell to 5-4 while Travis Lamar picked up the victory (2-0).

The Bolts and Otters are back at it on Wednesday night at 6:35. Former Otter Andrew Werner (9-3) gets the start for Windy City against Chris Peters (1-10). The game can be heard on WXAV 88.3 fm or wxav.com.

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