Slammers Can't Overcome Bad Start and Lose Again

Bad defense and nine men left on base combined to send the Joliet Slammers (27-22) to their third straight loss at home as they fell to the Rockford RiverHawks (23-27) by a final score of 7-5 Saturday night.

The first inning was a confusing, unmitigated disaster for the Slammers. Freddy Parejo singled to lead things off. Then David Cooper laid down a bunt. Sean Estand’s throw was high and off the glove of Kyle Maunus at first, putting two on in scoring position with nobody out against Andrew Moss.

Jason James singled in Parejo and Cooper went to third on the play. That’s when Matt Greener hit a grounder back to Moss.

Moss got Cooper in a rundown but after he had thrown the ball to Estand at third, he was called for fielder’s interference and Cooper was awarded home.

For a while no one but the men on the field realized what had occurred as the crowd assumed Cooper had been tagged out. With two in scoring position, Luis Parache hit a double over David Fox’s head as Fox misjudged the ball; two runs scored and Joliet was down 4-0.

After Jeremy Richter was hit by a pitch, Jeremy Hamilton hit a grounder to first that Kyle Maunus nearly muffed. He was able to recover in time to finally get the first out of the inning.

Reno Malay singled home Parache but Bobby Leeper was able to nail Richter at the plate for the second out of the frame. After Greg Van Horn was hit by a pitch, Moss got Parejo to fly out and the inning was finally over.

In a 5-0 hole, the Slammers did get three back in the second inning.

Erik Lis smacked a solo home run to start the rally. Kyle Maunus drew a walk and advanced to second on a Fox single.

A wild pitch moved both runners to scoring position and with one out Ben Hewett drove in Maunus with a grounder to short. Bobby Leeper followed with a RBI single to cut the deficit to 5-3.

But two runs was as close as Joliet would get as Rockford got some insurance runs in the fourth and the seventh.

Moss (2-3) took the loss as he went five innings, giving up six runs — two earned — on five hits. He walked two and struck out two.

Joliet did get a couple more runs in the game, including one in the sixth on a RBI double from Fox. They brought the tying run to the plate in the form of Lis in the bottom of the ninth, but Lis was only able to manage a deep fly ball for a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 7-5. Maunus popped out to end the game.

With the loss the Slammers are still in first but only ½ game ahead of the Windy City ThunderBolts in the East Division.