By WJBC Staff
SAUGET – The Normal CornBelters used long balls to take an early lead and defeat the Gateway Grizzlies 8-4 on Sunday night at GCS Ballpark.
The CornBelters wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as Ty Morris and Santiago Chirino singled followed by a home run to right center field by Aaron Dudley to lead off the contest for a 3-0 advantage.
Blake Brown put the Grizzlies on the board in the second inning with a two-out solo homer off the sponsor wall in right field to cut their deficit to 3-1.
The Belters clubbed their second three-run homer of the game as Nolan Meadows built the lead to 6-1 in the fourth inning with a drive to the right field lawn.
A no-doubt homer high off the outer right field wall in the sixth inning by Tyler Tewell cut the Grizzlies’ deficit to 6-2.
Normal scored the first tally without a long ball in the eighth inning when Aaron Dudley led off with a double, went to third on a fielder’s choice and scored on a single past a drawn-in infield by Dylan Kelly for a 7-2 lead.
Elijah Trail scored the final Belters run in the ninth inning as he was hit by a pitch, went to second on a fielder’s choice and came home on two wild pitches.
The Grizzlies scored a pair of runs in the ninth inning on a Seth Heck RBI single and a sacrifice fly by Sam Fischer for the game’s final tallies.
Horatio Acosta (2-1) earned the win in his first start, working six innings with two runs (earned) on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Will Landsheft (1-3) took the loss with seven innings, surrendering six runs (earned) on seven hits with one walk and four strikeouts.
The CornBelters return to the Corn Crib for a three-game series against the River City Rascals on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 6:35 each night. Right-hander Mike Schweiss (2-2, 2.17 ERA) starts on the mound for the Belters.
