Slammers' Pitching Puts Them on Brink of Sweep

The Slammers managed only six hits but two were of the long ball variety in a 3-1 victory over the Lake Erie Crushers Thursday night.

Ryan Quigley picked up his second save in as many nights after the teams waited out a rain delay that lasted 61 minutes before the ninth could even start.

It was the Tommy Mendoza show for the Slammers as the right-hander went seven innings. He scattered six hits, surrendered only one run, walked one and struck out three.

Hector Pellot smacked a solo shot with two away in the first to give Joliet a 1-0 lead.

The Crushers tied things in the third inning, but the Slammers played long ball again in the bottom of the third as Brandon Peters went deep to right with a solo shot.

The game was a great battle between two outstanding pitchers in Mendoza and Eric Gonzalez-Diaz of the Crushers. Gonzalez-Diaz only gave up five hits and struck out 10 batters in his seven innings of work. But the two home runs were his undoing.

The Slammers got some insurance against Ruben Flores in the eighth. Josh Flores reached on an infield single and moved to second on a Brad Netzel sacrifice bunt. Pellot drew a walk and a passed ball moved Flores to third. That brought Erik Lis to the plate and he grounded out to first to score Flores and put the Slammers up 3-1.

Brian Smith worked an easy eighth inning and Quigley left two men stranded to pick up his save after the rain delay in the ninth.

The Slammers are one win away from advancing to the Frontier League Championship series. They have an off day Friday before taking on the Crushers Saturday in Avon, OH. Jeremy Tietze takes the mound. First pitch is at 6:05 p.m.