Boomers Drop Series in Joliet
JOLIET, Ill. — The Schaumburg Boomers failed to hold a 4-0 lead in the rubber game of a road series with the Joliet Slammers, 2011 Frontier League Champions, leaving the tying run at third base in the ninth in a 5-4 defeat on Friday night.
Schaumburg (20-13) exploded to a 4-0 lead with three third inning runs. Frank Pfister was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home the first run. Steve McQuail added a two-run single to extend the margin. Gerard Hall doubled home a run in the fourth inning to further stretch the margin. Hall posted three hits in the game.
Starter Tyler Watkins cruised through four innings but ran into problems in failing to make it through the fifth as the Slammers scored five times. Josh Lyon led off the inning with a homer and Zach Mandelblatt capped the inning with a two-run single against Adam Tollefson to hand Joliet (16-17) the lead. Watkins (1-4) tossed 4.2 innings and suffered the loss, his fourth consecutive defeat. Jake Renshaw (1-1) earned the win for Joliet despite allowing four runs, working through five innings.
The Boomers will maintain at least a share of first entering play this weekend. A three-game series with the Rockford RiverHawks begins at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday night. The first 1,500 fans through the gates will receive a Boomers hat courtesy of ATI Physical Therapy. RHP Robbie Penny (2-3, 4.46) starts for the Boomers opposite LHP Ziggie VanderWall (3-1, 3.74).
PECKS
- Prior to the game Mike Valadez was activated from the 7-Day Injured Reserve List; To make room for Valadez, Marty Coyle was released; Coyle played in one game with the Boomers; Valadez posted a pair of hits in the game
- Schaumburg threw out Jimmy Waters at the plate in the seventh as Ty Nelson survived a collision
- The bullpen combined to throw 3.1 scoreless innings as Tollefson, Joe Parsons, Kaleb Engelke, and Matt Kuna each recorded a strikeout
Season Tickets, Group Outings and single-game tickets for the Inaugural Season of Schaumburg Boomers Baseball are on sale now by calling the 847.461.3695, by visiting www.boomersbaseball.com or by stopping by Schaumburg Boomers Stadium located at 1999 S. Springinsguth Road in Schaumburg.
