Missed Opportunities Haunt Slammers In First Half of Double Header

The Joliet Slammers left 12 men on base on their way to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Windy City ThunderBolts in game one of Thursday’s Double Header.

Windy City got on the board first in the second inning as they got two runs off Slammers’ starter Billy Petrick.

A walk and two singles loaded the bases for Nick Kuroczko. The third baseman had the game winning hit in game one of the series and picked up where he left off with a two-RBI single to make it 2-0 ThunderBolts.

After an error reloaded the bases, Petrick worked his way around any further trouble by getting a slow roller back to the mound and a line drive double play to end the inning.

Joliet struggled with leaving runners on base as they left a man at second in the first and the bases loaded in the second. But they broke through in the third.

Hector Pellot was hit by a pitch to start the frame and Josh Flores drew a walk.  Two outs later Kris Kasarjian came up huge with a single to left-center, driving in Pellot and cutting the deficit to 2-1.

But men left on base would be the story of game one as a Kyle Maunus fly out left two more stranded in the third.

Petrick settled down after the rough second inning as he ended up tossing 6+ innings, giving up only one more run. That run came in the sixth inning.

The former major leaguer was hurt again by the lead-off walk as catcher Zach Aakhus drew his third base-on-balls of the game. After the next batter singled, Andy Deain came on to try and get out of the jam.

After Wade sacrificed the runners over, Deain got a grounder right back to the mound and was able to get Aakhus out 1-5-2 between third and home. With runners at the corners and two away, Deain uncorked a wild pitch that gave the ThunderBolts a big insurance run.

It would prove to be the difference as Joliet rallied in the top of the seventh. Hector Pellot started things off with a single to right-center. One out later Erik Lis singled sharply to right on a hit-and-run, putting runners at the corners with one down.

Devin Shepherd followed with a single of his own to drive in Pellot and make the score 3-2. It would stay that way as Kasarjian grounded out to the mound and Lee Rubin grounded out to second with the bases loaded after Maunus was hit by a pitch.

Petrick (1-1) took the loss while Dustin Williams (2-0) picked up the win for the ThunderBolts.