Slammers Win Another Thriller

For the second straight night, the Joliet Slammers gave up two runs in the first inning. For the second straight night, it didn’t matter.

The Slammers knocked off the Gateway Grizzlies Wednesday night by a final score of 7-5 as the bullpen once again held on to the lead down the stretch.

Jake Renshaw did not have his best stugg but gutted out five and a third innings to pick up the win.

Things did not start well as Charlie Lisk took him deep for a two-run home run in the top of the first to give Gateway a 2-0 lead.

The Slammers did not waste much time responding. In the bottom of the first with one away Brad Netzel and Hector Pellot smacked back-to-back singles off Gateway starter Brad Stone.

After Erik Lis was hit by a pitch, Sean Estand crushed a bases clearing double to give the Slammers a 3-2 lead. He advanced to third on the throw to the plate and scored on a Reid Chenworth RBI grounder.

The 4-2 lead didn’t last long as Gateway got one back in the second on a two-out RBI single from Kent Gerst that took a funny hop over a diving Kyle Maunus at first.

Gateway tied the game in the fourth on another clutch hit by Tyler Heil, who delivered a two-out RBI single.

The Slammers took the lead for good in the fifth as Pellot drove in Josh Flores with a sacrifice fly and Chenworth forced in Netzel with a bases-loaded walk.

Ryan Quigley worked the ninth to notch his league-leading 22nd save.

With the win the Slammers are a season best 13 games over .500 and remain 4.5 games up on Traverse City in the East Division.