By Greg Halbleib
NORMAL – The Normal CornBelters dropped the finale of a three-game series in a back-and-forth affair, 7-5 in 10 innings to the Frontier Greys on Sunday at the Corn Crib.
The Greys scored quickly with a one-out triple by Julio Rodriguez to the right center gap followed by a single to left by Brandon Tierney for a first-inning lead.
The CornBelters grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fifth while still searching for their first hit, aided by three walks, a hit batsman and an error.
The Greys quickly evened the count when Shane Brown led off with a line drive home run to left followed by a one-out double by Scott Carcaise that scored Rodriguez from first base for a 4-2 lead.
The Belters tied the score at 4-4 with their first two hits of the game with two outs in the sixth inning, a Jim Vahalik double to right center and a two-run homer to left by Mark Micowski.
The Greys surged ahead 5-4 in the seventh with a lead-off triple by Francisco Rosario and a fielder’s choice RBI by Brandon Tierney.
Santiago Chirino tied the game at 5-5 in the eighth inning with his second home run of the week and third of the season with a drive to the left field berm, then made a tumbling catch in shallow center field to end the Greys ninth inning with the bases loaded.
The Greys had a runner thrown out at third in the 10th inning, but Shane Brown gave the guests a 7-5 lead with a two-run homer to the left field lawn later in the frame. Kyle Bogese (2-5) struck out the side to end the game while Race Parmenter (1-3) suffered the loss.
The Belters (51-33) continue to lead the Frontier League West Division and have a magic number of 2 (combination of Florence losses and CornBelters wins) to clinch their first-ever playoff berth.
The CornBelters take Monday off before embarking on a six-game road trip to the Gateway Grizzlies and Rockford Aviators. The broadcast on WJBC.com begins at 6:50 p.m. Tuesday from GCS Ballpark in Sauget, Ill.
