Seventh-inning rally nets Bolts 9-6 win
CRESTWOOD, IL – The ThunderBolts erased a three-run deficit, scoring six runs in the seventh inning to complete a comeback and beat the River City Rascals 9-6 at Ozinga Field Saturday night.
The Bolts (23-29) scored in the first inning when Brynn Martinez singled to extend his hit streak to 11 games and scored on a Chase Cockrell groundout.
River City (28-24) fought back and took the lead with four straight runs. Despite striking out nine batters in 4.1 innings, Tyler Thornton couldn’t get into a rhythm as the Rascals picked up seven hits over the first three frames. Tanner Murphy hit two RBI singles and Nolan Meadows had an RBI double to help River City to a 4-1 lead.
Randy Perez’s solo homer in the fifth inning began the Bolts’ comeback and Tyler Alamo walked and scored on an error in the sixth to cut the deficit to one.
A run-scoring single from Meadows in the top of the seventh added insurance to the Rascals’ lead, but the Bolts broke out in the bottom of the inning. Tyler Straub reached on an error and scored on an Alamo single to make it 5-4. Then, with the bases loaded, Cal Aldridge secured his first two career RBIs on a single to give the Bolts a 6-5 edge. Micah Coffey’s two-run double followed and, when Coffey scored on a wild pitch, it was 9-5.
The Rascals added one more run, but Colby Blueberg came out of the bullpen to strike out the final four batters of the game and earn his fourth save.
Joel Toribio (2-1) threw 1.1 innings and was credited with the win. Tanner Cable faced four batters, all of whom scored, as he was charged with the loss.
The rubber match of the series is set for Sunday afternoon. Kenny Mathews (1-6, 4.41) gets the start for the ThunderBolts against River City’s Brendan Feldmann (3-0, 1.36). It is JULIE Family Sunday at Ozinga Field with first pitch scheduled for 2:05.