Comeback Falls Short in Middle Game Wednesday
JOLIET, Il. (June 21) – On the back of scoring the first four runs of the game while holding Washington to just three hits by the time the lead was 4-0 for Joliet, the Slammers held on to win 4-3 in the middle game at Duly Health and Care Field and took the series with it.
The Slammers scored in the second on an RBI double by Tyler Depreta-Johnson that plated Lane Baremore, who had singled to start the inning. A one-out double by Depreta-Johnson led to an RBI single by Matt Feinstein in the fifth. Feinstein then scored on a sacrifice fly by Matthew Warkentin in the same frame to make it 3-0.
Washington’s first hit and baserunner of the game didn’t come until the fifth inning on a lead-off single by Wagner Lagrange. Nothing came of that or a two-out Nick Gotta single in the sixth. With two outs, Andrew Czech broke a 0-for-16 skid at the dish with a single in the seventh, but did not score. Joliet responded by adding the game’s deciding run in the bottom half off Ray Pacella on a two-out single by Baremore.
Washington got three in the eighth on a wild pitch and a two-run double by Melvin Novoa that plated two free passes, but failed to score again, dropping the game and the series to the Slammers by a run. Czech hit a ball 105.5 off the bat to lead off the ninth that was caught at the wall in right field. Yakkertech, the league’s pitch tracking system, registered the distance at more than 400 feet, but a wind blowing straight in from right kept it in the yard. Two groundouts finished the game.
Kobe Foster suffered his first loss of the season as he allowed three runs over five innings. Justin Ferrell got the win for Joliet with six shutout innings. The save went to Jared Liebelt, his second.
The finale of the series is scheduled for tomorrow evening in Joliet at 6:35 p.m. CT. Reigning Frontier League Pitcher of the Week, lefty Cole Cook, an All-Star last season, will go for the Slammers as they look for a sweep. He’s 4-0 with a 1.59 ERA in seven starts. Washington will counter with righty Justin Showalter, who won his last start with a seven-inning outing against Ottawa last Thursday
