By Greg Halbleib
ROCKFORD – The Normal CornBelters set a team record for runs and hits in a single game and tied several individual league marks in a 24-10 wind-blown win over the Rockford Aviators on Sunday afternoon at Aviators Stadium.
The 24 runs and 25 hits are new team records and highs for the Frontier League this season. Pat McKenna hit three home runs and recorded nine runs batted in to tie league records, while Aaron Dudley tied a league mark by scoring six runs.
The CornBelters struck quickly as Santiago Chirino singled, went to second on a walk and third on a passed ball, then scored on a throwing error. Richard Lucas followed up with a two-run double to the left field corner for a 3-0 lead in the opening frame.
The Aviators countered in the second inning with a three-run homer by Anthony Renteria off the left field scoreboard followed immediately by a home run off the batter’s eye by Collin Shaw to take a 4-3 lead.
The CornBelters also contributed a two-homer inning to push back in front 6-4 in the third, a two-run drive by Aaron Dudley and a solo blast by Lucas.
Rockford cut the margin to 6-5 with a run without a hit in their third frame on a hit batsman with two walks and a run-scoring wild pitch.
The Belters continued to take advantage of a strong wind blowing out as McKenna clubbed a three-run homer immediately followed by a towering drive to left by Lucas for his second homer and fourth RBI of the day for an 11-5 lead. Jim Vahalik contributed a two-run wind-blown home run just over the right field rail in the fifth inning for a 13-5 advantage.
The Aviators took advantage of two walks in the fifth inning, followed by a grand slam over the left field barrier by Renteria to increase his RBI total to seven and cut their deficit to 13-9.
McKenna’s second homer of the day was a two-run drive and cleared the center field batter’s eye in the sixth inning to increase the Belters lead to 15-9.
Rockford scored a lead-off walk on a Brian Bistagne double in the sixth, but Dudley knocked in a Belters run in the seventh to counter it and Lucas slapped a two-run single to increase the lead to 18-10.
The Belters finished the scoring in the ninth inning with a three-run homer from McKenna, an RBI ground-out by Ozney Guillen and a two-run home run by Cameron Monger.
Lucas collected six RBIs while Dudley drove in four Belters runs.
Cole Brocker (3-1) earned the win with three innings of relief. Rockford starter Nick Grim (1-5) took the loss.
The CornBelters take Monday and Tuesday off before finishing the road trip in Florence with a Wednesday doubleheader and a single game on Thursday. First pitch on Wednesday is scheduled for 4:35 p.m. Central with broadcast time at 4:20 on WJBC.com with listen live links found on Facebook, Twitter (@normal_baseball) and www.normalbaseball.com. The nightcap can also be heard on WEZC-FM 95.9.
