SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Mike Valadez of the Schaumburg Boomers singled in the game winning run in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 victory over the Gateway Grizzlies to clinch a series sweep and improve the Boomers record at home to 8-1 in their Inaugural Season. The Boomers return to action on Fireworks Friday as Chicago’s newest professional team welcomes the first-place River City Rascals to town for a Frontier League West Division Showdown at 6:30 p.m.

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Valadez, the Boomers catcher who went 2-4 in the contest, stepped to the plate with the bases full Boomers in the bottom of the ninth and one out. The California native smacked the 0-1 offering back up the middle and was immediately mobbed by his teammates after a crazy night of baseball at Boomers Stadium.

The visiting Gateway Grizzlies got on the board first with single tallies in the second and fourth. Case Rigby drove in Jerod Yakubik with a double in the second and Jon Myers crossed the plate when Rigby hit into a double play with nobody out in the fourth.

It wasn’t just the Boomers between-inning entertainment that was a bit bizarre on this night, as the Boomers took advantage of some on field confusion to get their first run of the ballgame. With Nick Kuroczko on first, Andrew Cohn on third and Kuroczko on the move with one out on the 3-2 offering to Frank Pfister, the Boomers third basemen flew out to center and Cohn tagged from third to cross the plate.

The home plate umpire immediately waved off the run after Kuroczko was doubled off at first base on the throw from center. However, after review with the field umpire,  awarded the run to the Boomers citing the fact that Cohn scored before the third out of the inning occurred. What made the play even more bizarre was the fact that the umpires’ decision was not universally made known until the next half inning, after the Grizzlies had already batted in the top of the seventh and gave the Boomers a run on the scoreboard before the Boomers cued up the long ball in the bottom of the seventh.

Trailing 2-1, CF Jereme Milons and LF Chad Mozingo hit back-to-back bombs to give the Boomers a 3-2 lead. Milons blast to left center just cleared the wall after Grizzlies CF Antone DeJesus appeared to get a glove on the ball but fortunately for the home team, could not hang on. Mozingo jacked his no-doubt dinger over the right field wall to put Schaumburg in front. Later in the frame, Karexon Sanchez scored on a wild pitch to give the Boomers what would turn out to be a much-needed insurance run with a 4-2 lead.

After RHP Joe Parsons (0.2 innings, one hit) and LHP Adam Tollefson (1.1 innnings, 2 strikeouts) combined for a scoreless seventh and eighth inning in relief, the Grizzlies scratched across two runs against Alex Thieroff to tie the game in the ninth before Valadez’s ninth inning heroics. Jason Braun came in to get the last out of the ninth to earn his second victory of the season.

Neither starter factored in the decision after both right-handers put forth strong performances. The Boomers Tyler Watkins allowed just one earned run (two total) in his six innings and held Gateway to just three hits while striking out three and walking a pair. Grizzlies RHP Jonathan Gonzalez allowed just two hits and a run through five innings, before the Boomers tacked on two in the six.

PECKS

• The Boomers improve to 8-1 at Boomers Stadium during their Inaugural Season.
• Recently acquired INF Karexon Sanchez picked up his first hit as a member of the Boomers with a single in the seventh
• Milons, Mozingo and Valadez lead the charge for the Boomers offense as each collected a pair of hits in Thursday’s ballgame.
• 3B Frank Pfister saw his franchise-record nine-game hitting streak snapped in tonight’s contest

The Boomers welcome the first-place River City Rascals to Boomers Stadium for a three-game series beginning with Fireworks Friday tomorrow evening with a 6:30 p.m. scheduled first pitch. Schaumburg sends RHP Robbie Penny (1-1, 3.50) to the hill to take on RHP Tony Marsala (1-0, 3.38) for the Rascals.

Tickets are available now by calling the Boomers at 847.461.3695, stopping by the Boomers Box office located at 1999 S. Springinsguth Rd. in Schaumburg or online at www.boomersbaseball.com.