By WJBC Staff
CRESTWOOD – The Normal CornBelters rallied late but lost the rubber game and finale of a brief road trip 8-6 to the Windy City ThunderBolts on Sunday.
The ThunderBolts scored a pair of runs in the opening frame on three hits. Tim Zier doubled and Corey Bass singled to put runners at the corners with Zier coming home on a sacrifice fly to short left field by Cody Keefer. Bass scored on a double by Ransom LaLonde that one-hopped the center field wall.
The CornBelters cut the deficit in the second when Nolan Meadows led off with a wind-blown double to left field, went to third on a fielder’s choice and scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Elvin Rodriguez.
Another lead-off double in the next inning led to the tying run as Justin Fletcher blooped a high chopper up the middle that skidded into the center field, and he scored on two fielder’s choice with the RBI going to Aaron Dudley.
The Bolts went back in front in the third inning with a two-out rally consisting of a double by Cody Keefer and a throwing error that plated him for a 3-2 lead.
Windy City extended the lead in the sixth inning to 5-2 with a two-run, two-out single by Blair Beck.
The Belters got the run back on a two-out single by Dudley to score Mitch Elliott, who bunted his way on and went to second on the throw to cut the deficit to 5-3. Dylan Kelly homered to right to lead off the eighth inning to slice the score to 5-4.
The ThunderBolts bought insurance in the eighth inning by putting their first two runners aboard and ending the night for Belters starter Chris Carmain, then scoring with a two-run double by Taylor Smart and an RBI single by Larry Balkwill.
The Belters pushed two runs across in the ninth inning on a two-run double by Meadows but could come no closer.
Clay Chapman (6-3) took the win with six and two-thirds innings, giving up three runs (earned) on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Chris Carmain (2-6) suffered the loss with seven innings of work, surrendering seven runs (six earned) on seven hits with no walks and six strikeouts. Cameron Giannini recorded the final out for his seventh save.
The CornBelters take Monday off before opening a brief three-game homestand on Tuesday against the Schaumburg Boomers. Tuesday’s special guest is seven-time Olympic medalist Shannon Miller. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at the Corn Crib with a 6:20 broadcast time on WJBC.com.
