By WJBC Staff
NORMAL – The Normal CornBelters were not slowed down Tuesday by the Windy City ThunderBolts, winning their seventh straight game. Despite a pitching duel being broken up by a 48-minute light delay, the CornBelters defeated the ThunderBolts 4-0.
Pat McKenna started the CornBelters offense early in the first inning with a one-out, two-run home run in the first inning off of the ThunderBolts’ Travis Tingle.
Jacob Tanis of the ThunderBolts hit a one-out double in the top of the fourth inning and reached third on a wild pitch, but CornBelters pitcher Kevin Johnson would get out of trouble before Tanis could score recording his sixth and seventh strikeouts of the game.
After the fifth inning and light delay, Horatio Acosta came in for Johnson who had recorded nine strikeouts and allowed only two hits. Travis Tingle also had only three hits, two strikeouts and two earned runs through his five innings pitched but continued into the sixth inning for a third of an inning, leaving Cameron Monger on second before Cameron Giannini came in. Monger would steal third base in the sixth inning bringing his league leading total to nine steals, then reach home on a wild pitch to score an unearned run.
Ozney Guillen hit a one-out RBI single after Aaron Dudley stole second in the seventh inning to increase the lead to 4-0. Race Parmenter went to the mound for the Belters in the eighth inning and struck out the remaining six Bolts hitters to secure the win for Johnson (1-1). Tingle (0-4) took the loss.
The CornBelters (12-4, 2nd Frontier League West) and ThunderBolts (5-10, 6th West) will meet Wednesday night for the second of their three-game series at 6:35p.m. Pre-game on WJBC.com is at 6:20. Right-hander Mike Schweiss (2-1, 1.86 ERA) takes the ball for the Belters while the Bolts counter with lefty Jake Fisher (1-2, 4.19).